Blue Ribbon Reviews October 2004
By Linda Lindroth

October is Computer Learning Month and many schools will be looking for ways to meet the NCLB technology literacy requirement for all eighth graders. Here are a few programs that will help in accomplishing this goal while also meeting the ISTE NETS technology standards

TechYES
The TechYES Starter Kit for grades 6-9 from Generation YES is a complete technology education and certification program that meets NCLB requirements for national technology literacy certification. While working with the TechYES program, students will follow a three-step certification process that includes mastery of Internet safety and ethics as well as the completion of two technology projects that use a variety of technologies in which students must show proficiency.

The TechYES Starter Kit consists of 30 full-color student guides and certificates that guide students through the certification process. An implementation guide provides strategies for implementing the program, customized for schools, after-school programs, clubs and community organizations. The resource CD-ROM provides the teacher or group leader with reproducibles, guides and videos to support the certification process.

Access to the TechYES web portal gives TechYES advisors and mentors additional resources for assisting students with their technology projects. There are dozens of tutorials on technology and "Tools and Tips" with links to software and strategies for developing projects using technology. All of the steps of each project – Gather, Organize, Construct and Share – must incorporate technology. Students, Peer Mentors and Advisors will evaluate both projects completed by the students to see if they meet the criteria.

Visit www.techyes.net to see sample projects and resources. Call 888-941-4369 for more information. Mac/ Win, $495.

Odyssey Writer
Odyssey Writer from Compass Learning guides students in the writing process from prewriting, through drafts and edits and then to a final publication to share with an audience. Teachers can even customize writing assignments with the software's Assignment Builder.

In the prewriting stage, students can use the Notecard and Outline tools to help them brainstorm and organize their ideas. All information on the students' electronic notecards can be pasted into the Drafting tool. Odyssey Writer also has a Graphic Organizer tool that allows students to use webbing for creating and organizing their ideas for writing.

Odyssey Writer's Notecard tool helps students organize their ideas for later use in a finished piece of writing.

The Drafting tool gives students a word processor for writing as well as full views of their notecards, outline or graphic organizer in a window displayed beside their writing, on the left-hand side of the screen. Students can even insert pictures and hyperlinks with a click of the mouse. The Drafting tool also provides instruction and writing strategies to help students in the process.

Editing and revision is easy with the Self-Assessment tool that posts the rubric and lets students edit and move sentences in their piece as they use the rubric to improve their writing. The Teacher Evaluation tool works much the same way with a general analytical rubric, the ability to make comments and annotations and provide a grade. There's even a Rubric Creation Module for modifying or creating an original rubric.

For more information, visit www.compasslearning.com or call 800-422-4339. Online subscription; call for pricing.

Linda K. Lindroth is Technology Editor and Web Coordinator for Teaching Pre K-8. She is also a Technology Resource Teacher in a K-5 computer lab in Lexington, KY.