Tektoma, in case you don’t know, is a company that teaches children how to create computer/video games for fun. I think it’s a great concept because it’s a fun introduction to programming and is a practical application of logic skills. Having failed computer programming back in the dark ages of punch card readers anyone who can make programming enjoyable gets a standing ovation from me!
My girls are very “fluent” (i.e., will go overboard with playing them if I don’t stop them) in computer games and video games so I thought that this would be a slam dunk success. Boy was I wrong! They absolutely couldn’t stand it. My youngest daughter politely told me that she wasn’t interested and never touched the program again. You may recall that in a previous video review my oldest daughter announced that she wanted to create a video game. So, she should have been thrilled to pieces, right? WRONG!
When we first downloaded everything and were getting setup we had a few hiccups because I didn’t read through all of the instructions and missed a download area. Okay, things were still going well — excitement was high and Jade’s games were going to be the next Animal Crossing meets Final Fantasy. And then we started getting into the actual work. By the end of the first week she was through. One of her main difficulties stem from an auditory delay earlier in her life. Although she’s a strong reader, listening and watching the video requires her to listen to the instructions and then execute them in order. So many times she would begin the process correctly, forget or misplace a step and get frustrated. Having to do the troubleshooting really drove her crazy. (Hey, that she gets honestly — I could never debug a program in a million years either.)
Was it the Tektoma’s fault? Not at all. The videos are very easy to follow. The pace is just right — not too fast, not too slow. The samples and pictures were very clear, which I appreciate. I’ve worked with some video tutorials that were very fuzzy and frustrating. The lessons are setup to gradually progress from a simple racing game to the more complex fantasy/adventure type games. The graphics remind me of my favorite Kings Quest games from Sierra, kind of blocky shapes, but easily recognizable and customizable too!
They also have a community that you can share your creations with and ask questions about things that you may be having problems setting up. Tektoma’s customer support was very good.When I had questions about that file I missed, I received an answer within the same day with tips and reminders that if I had any questions to please let them know. And best of all as the children grow in proficiency with their programming skills, they can share their own creations with other children within the community. A great boon for parents who have children who blow through store bought video games! Next time they claim they’re bored, just send them to the forum and let them download another kid’s game.
So to be fair for the review, I asked one of my neighbor’s son to take a look at the program and play around with the interface. He loved it! He thought this was the best thing since chocolate cake and was disappointed that I wouldn’t let him take Jade’s computer home with him so that he could continue working. He had no difficulty working the program and was able to correct his mistakes quickly and easily. Just different strokes for different folks I guess.
Tektoma offers two different ways to for you and your family to get involved. The first way is through a monthly subscription of $14.95/mo. or $140/annually. This gives you access to the tutorials, forums, file sharing, etc. They also have a summer camp option for children 7 and up called “Bits, Bytes & Bots Computer Adventures®” where the children learn about robotics, stop-motion animated movie making and game creation.
So, although Tektoma was a bust for my family, I do think it has a lot to offer to children (and even adults) who feel that creative computer gene growing restless. They allow a 14-day free trial of the program, so you can see which category of interest your child(ren) fall into before you make the investment. If you want to learn more, just click Tektoma’s banner below and it’ll take you to their home page.
Wizz-e is a magical place where books come to life. They move, they shimmer, they speak and even give quizzes. The magic has touched the classics such as “The Three Little Pigs.” The magic has affected new books, such as “Hoop-La the Hippo.” Some books count and some books rhyme. But whatever else they do the children always have a good time.
My daughter (6 years old) is a beginning reader who lacks confidence in her decoding skills. She actually can read better than she thinks, but the second-guessing takes a lot of energy of her. So when I found out about this website I thought it would be a nice change from Starfall.com (another great reading site) since the reading material is for “bigger” girls and boys. Once I got the site up, she was immediately drawn to the site’s layout and book offerings.
The first book we read together was “The Three Little Pigs.” Actually, she opted for the narrator to read that one and I’m glad that she did. The narration was first rate. And the beautifully drawn illustrations really captivated her. They are beautifully rendered as well as animated. But unlike other sites that really go overboard when it comes to animation and music, Wizz-e is very subtle and calming. No flashing lights to distract the children from what they need to concentrate on — the Words. Even the music is soothing, creating a cozy and relaxing feeling.
Another great reason to visit Wizz-e is that although most of the books are for purchase, you can’t beat the prices. The books range anywhere from $1.99 to $8.99, are immediately accessible and available for use. The bookstore offers books that encourage counting, health, classic stories like “Old Mother Hubbard”, alphabet books and bedtime stories. Regardless of the genre, the illustrations brought to life are really a feast for the eyes. And each book comes with the option of reading the story outright, an “assist” mode that allows the child to click on an unfamiliar word and have it read to them and straight reading. At the end of each story there is a little quiz just to make sure that the children remembered the main points of the story.
Aside from the library, which is expanding each month, there are also games, free downloads and jokes for the kids to tell us a million times. The game section is also a work in progress, so the interface doesn’t always work as well as it should. My daughter and I both got frustrated with the “Seek and Find — Find the Teddies”. Once again the illustrations are beautiful, but when we tried to circle the bears the interface didn’t always acknowledge you and put a circle around the bears. And since this is a time sensitive game it’s very annoying to know you lost even though you found all of the teddies. So, I would suggest that parents with small children give this a pass for now.
The “Hoop-La the Hippo” puzzle worked very well. My daughter’s only complaint was that there wasn’t a greater variety of puzzles. By that she meant that you weren’t able to choose a 9 piece puzzle versus a 21 piece puzzle. She suggested that I tell the owners that they need to fix that so that older kids could play too without getting bored. So, if anyone from Wizz-e finds my review, please add more puzzle piece choices. It’ll make Alaya very happy.
I know that a lot of parents are wary of allowing their children to access the internet without close supervision, but Wizz-e has solved that problem for you. Once you purchase the book you can immediately download it to your hard drive for later use. Although you can’t transfer it from whichever computer you download it to, this is a good way to keep the kids safe. And it’s a great way to entertain the children for a few minutes while encouraging reading and reading comprehension. I think once you take a look you’ll definitely see it as a worthy addition to your teaching arsenal. You can visit their site and get more information by going to www.wizz-e.com.
Algodoo is a 2D physics simulation environment for creating interactive scenes in a playful, cartoony manner. Algodoo is designed to encourage young peoples own creativity, ability and motivation to construct knowledge. The synergy of science and art makes Algodoo as educational as it is entertaining.
Algodoo is based on Phun 2D Physics Sandbox, developed by Emil Ernerfeldt
Algodoo, as shown in this video, is optimized for the Intel® powered convertible Classmate PC using its acceleromter, webcam and touch screen and digital pen interface.
More about Algodoo at: http://www.algoryx.se/
More about the classmate PC at: http://www.classmatepc.com
Web design is one of the skills that I want my children to learn. Not only is it a great creative outlet for writing and drawing (my daughters love the Paint feature on the computer), but it will probably be a standard skill requirement as they enter the job market. Although I’ve been working on my own website the last six months, I’m by no means ready to explain how it all works, especially since some of it is still a mystery for me! But never fear, because Click Drag Solutions has already provided me with the perfect solution.
If you’re looking for a great introduction to land of HTML, look no further than “Web Design for Kids (and Curious Grown-Ups!)”. This instructional DVD is about 45 minutes in length and normally retails for $40.00, but is on sale until the end of the summer for $19.99. In my opinion this program is definitely worth the price!
One of things I really like about this program is the pacing. The instructor has a relaxed teaching style that allows you to absorb the information as you work. For good typists, there will be no need to pause the DVD. Slower typists may have to pause a few times, but not to the point of being aggravated.
At no point is the training insulting to the children’s intelligence. This was very important to me because when my daughters were in cyber-school they were assigned games to do drill work. They also had programs to teach them about how to use the computer, spreadsheets and word processing programs. And my daughters hated having to log in for many of these programs. The voices were hyper-chipper and annoying. This instructional DVD doesn’t make that error. Parents can be in the same room with this program and not want to run screaming from the house.
The explanations are clear and concise. As he teaches you to build the website, the coding is right in front of you. He explains why each component is necessary and how to do basic troubleshooting. The DVD even has bonus sections explaining how to properly use file directories on a computer and basic file maintenance. I think the bonus section is very valuable because it will make the children’s lives much simpler as they get older and need to start separating their work out for portfolios and other work related projects.
I guess my only complaint would be that I would love to learn more web design, but so far this is the first and only video released. The next DVD in the series is in the works but no date has been set for release.
I definitely give this program a five star rating.
But since this program is designed for kids I decided to ask my daughters to do a short video interview about their experience with the program. I promised them that I wouldn’t edit anything, so you’ll see them in all their messy (and silly!) glory. (Alaya’s eye antics were supposedly caused by “shyness” (not!). Actually I think she’s the budding comedienne in the family) lol!
I'm a homeschooling mom with seven children: 3 human, 2 feline and 2 canine. I'm also the wife of one very patient husband who seems to like the role of ringmaster to our circus. I am a virtual assistant who enjoys writing, crafts, music and laughter. I hope you'll visit often. Please be aware that this blog is supported by affiliate links, although every link isn't necessarily an affiliate program.
computer-assisted instruction software
Algodoo is a 2D physics simulation environment for creating interactive scenes in a playful, cartoony manner. Algodoo is designed to encourage young peoples own creativity, ability and motivation to construct knowledge. The synergy of science and art makes Algodoo as educational as it is entertaining.
