For my software evaluation I have chosen Jump-Start Kindergarten.    I chose this program because I am working in a kindergarten classroom and I saw that the children were excited about using this program during their center time.  When I looked at this program I saw that is was the set up of a classroom.  There was a blackboard, clock, desks, tables, and other items that you would find in a regular classroom.  I felt like I was in a classroom as I explored the program because it was set up just like the kindergarten class that I am working in now.

Strengths:
 

• Students love the activities
• Lots of options
• Works with numbers
• Works with colors
• Works with shapes
• There are a variety of choices for the students as they go through the program.
• Many pictures and characters are used that students enjoy
• Very colorful pictures

Weaknesses:

• The shape activity goes to fast if put on a certain number
•  Instructions are sometimes unclear
•  Some of the objects that are in the classroom in the program are not getting the students involved; they are just making sounds

Goals:
? I would want the student to work with the numbers, shapes, and colors that we have been learning in class.  This would be a good review.
? By using this program students are working on their hand eye coordination.  They are continuously moving the mouse to different areas on the screen to get to another activity.
? This program has the children working on their listening skills because all of the directions are spoken. Students have to listen to make sure they know what they need to be doing on that screen
 

For Jump-Start Kindergarten I would teach a lesson that incorporates many of the activities that the program offers.  The child would go into the program and begin with the numbers.  I would have them click on a number, that is shown on the carpet, and on a worksheet have them fill in what they see happen.  I would then go to the little people sitting on the counter.  These little people have smaller ones inside of them.  In this activity I would have them put the people back in the correct order and have them draw a picture of the people that they organized from the smallest to the largest.  I would then have the students click on the rabbit’s ear.  Here they will do a puzzle and record on the worksheet what the puzzle revealed.  In the puzzles the students would be working with numbers.  They are given a number and have to pick the picture that has the correct representation for that number.  The next area I would have them click on would be the paints.  Here the students will work with a picture and manipulate different features on that picture.  If the student clicked on the nose the shape of the nose would change.  If the hair was clicked on the hairstyle would change.  All the features of the face were changeable.  I would have the students color the picture and print it out.  By doing this the student will be working on their colors.  The last area I would have the students work with would be the picture on the table.  This picture would change from being a complete puzzle to one that was broken.  When the student goes to this activity they will be dealing with shapes.  In this area the students will be matching up the shapes as they are moving down the screen.    After the students have completed all of these areas I have assigned they will be given the opportunity to explore the other areas of the programs classroom.  These areas have different things happening.  They could listen to music or to the sound effects that some of the objects make.