CALL
SOFTWARE/WEBSITE EVALUATION #1
Software/Website
Title: World Stories funded by a charity called
KidsOut in the UK
Website
URL: http://worldstories.org.uk/
Grade/Age
Level: Geared towards elementary levels K-6 but children’s
literature can be used in high school too
Language
and Content: I found this website on a language blog
called Multilingual Living.
1)
What is the intended purpose of the software or website?
The purpose of World Stories is to help children
learn about other cultures and languages through literacy and multimedia. “Our commitment is to support language
skills and encourage cultural awareness whilst also aiming to inspire children
to both discuss their responses and get creative”
2)
What is the content of the software or website and how is it presented?
World Stories is a collection of short stories and
poems from around the world. It includes traditional fairy tales, folk tales,
and other new literacies. The user can either search stories by genre,
language, or use the world map and click on a country. Once a story is
selected, you can listen to that story told in a number of different languages
while also reading along in that language or another. In order to access the
parent and teacher features, you have to register (free). Once I did, the
lesson plans were awesome! You can search for lessons by stories, genres, or by
language features. I selected a few to review and they even included lessons on
PowerPoints.
3)
What external documents do the software or website include? Are they affective?
It appears the website is “under construction” as
the funding has run out; therefore it is maybe a little less than comprehensive.
The content that is available is however very useful and new content is still
being added. There are links to lesson plans for teachers, resources for
parents, and several ways to get involved in the KidsOut fundraiser. Kids are
also able to submit their artwork to illustrate stories or poems they have read
and be able to see it presented on the website in a section called “My World”.
One of the fundraisers is called “toy box” where schools and families can
donate toys to misplaced children. There are other links to fundraisers and
charities for children around the world and ways kids can help other kids.
4)
In what ways is the software interesting to the target audience?
The
website has illustrations of the books submitted by other children. There is
also a place on the site where students can have their own section called Your
World. “This is your space to share your talents and ideas
Please send us stories, pictures, poems and responses. We’ll display your work
in our World Stories Gallery. Enter our national writing and art competitions.
Win certificates and prizes.
The world map is an interactive way that makes this website
useful and interesting. Students can learn about other cultures and languages
they may never encounter in their everyday lives. Once they click on the stories,
students can listen to them in a variety of languages. I found it useful to
listen to the story in English and read it in Spanish, then change it around.
5)
For what language goal(s) is this software or website useful/effective?
Children’s literature can be used to teach a variety
of language goals such as vocabulary, grammar, problem solving, and critical thinking.
While this website could be more interactive, it is still an authentic form of
literacy instruction. It involves reading, listening and thinking during the
stories and then has a plethora of lesson plans to reinforce what has been
read. Here are just a few language goals this website can assist with:
- communicative
tasks (retelling, summarizing, asking clarification questions)
- language
structures (sequential language, past-conditional tense)
- language
functions (Describe, explain, compare, contrast)
6)
Does this program or website offer practice? Assessment? Feedback? Of what
kinds?
On the side of each story, there is a question that
says “how does this story make you feel”? Students can select an emoticon on
the side to represent their reactions and see feedback from others. Besides
this, there is not a great deal of practice, assessment, or feedback available
on the website itself; however there are lesson plans with activities including
assessment. I looked over a few of these which reinforced diagraming, character
traits, story plots and other important literacy features.
7)
Is this software or website easy to use?
The website is easy to use and navigate for children
of all ages. Any user can click the stories and listen as well as read them.
Students can navigate the pages easily and access the different features. It
may be more useful for parents and teachers once registered and logged on.
There are several more features to be accessed this way.
8)
What are the strengths of this software or website?
The website provides a multitude of books and poetry
from all over the world that can be read and listened to in many different
languages. For parents, there are links to blogs and other resources to help
their children succeed. For teachers, there is a data base of lesson plans and
outside resources to go along with the stories presented.
9)
How can this software or website be improved?
Since the software was developed in the UK, there is
somewhat of a disconnect in a couple of areas. Where we have standards, it
appears they have something called “tasks”. So, while it may not transfer over
directly, the content can be used by anyone and adapted easily to any
classroom.
Also, there is not really a “search” feature of the
website. It would be nice if teachers could search specific books they want to
use or are already in the curriculum. I would like to see the library of
multimedia available expand to include more stories, interactive games, and
activities. I think this website has a lot of potential.
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