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May 15, 2002
Quick Picks
By Roxanne Schneider
Zoombinis Mountain Rescue
They're back: those lively and endearing creatures that hop and skate from one escapade to the next have returned for a new adventure. In this challenge, the Zoombinis navigate a harrowing journey to rescue fellow Zoombinis trapped in a mountain cave. Kids must help them solve the logic problems they face along the way, by sorting or ordering these spirited creatures by their distinctive physical attributes, such as hair type, footwear, or nose color.
At the heart of the program lie nine logic puzzles. Kids won't notice they're using math skills as they sort Zoombinis by their physical characteristics, trace pathways through a maze, and test variables. For example, in the game Chez Norf, players must serve the correct drink and entree on separate trays to four Norf creatures who block the Zoombinis' way to their next adventure. Each Norf reveals a clue, such as "the person who likes fish is not next to the person who likes salad." To satisfy the hungry Norfs, players must arrange the correct combination. After a few successful passes through this puzzle, however, there are more Norfs to feed, and dessert is added to the menu.
While it doesn't include math computation, Mountain Rescue is a perfect enrichment activity for students who want additional logic challenges, since no puzzle is ever the same and games progress through three levels of difficulty. Even better, we learned at press time that The Learning Company had just started shipping a school version with a teacher's manual. The original Zoombinis was one of my students' favorite programs, and it's my bet this one will be, too.
Evaluator: Roxanne Schneider, school technology consultant for Sun Associates in Amherst, Mass.
Zoombinis Mountain Rescue
Emphasis: Math and logic. Grade level: 2-12.
Platform: Mac/Win CD. Price: $24.99.
Publisher: Riverdeep/The Learning Company; (800) 395-0277
HP Jornada 565
Sleek, powerful, and jam-packed with features, the Jornada 565 handheld computer would do well in any educational setting. Teachers or students can use the device to word process, send e-mail, listen to MP3 files, or even watch short video clips.
What sets Pocket PCs like the 565 apart from Palm OS devices is that they run a Windows-based OS that supports mini-versions of familiar Microsoft Office applications. Users can, for example, download a Word document or Excel spreadsheet from the computer to the handheld, or manage their calendars using Outlook. The 565 comes loaded with the very latest OS for Pocket PCs, plus an upgradeable ROM so you can update the unit with future OS releases.
Also included in the 565 package is a stylus for data input; a USB docking cradle for PC connection; an infrared port for "beaming" data to other devices; and a removable/rechargeable lithium polymer battery.
In our evaluation, the unit performed well. The color display was easy to read even under bright sunlight, and a backlight automatically turns on in low-light situations. The handwriting recognition software identified much of what was entered with the stylus. And the speaker, which lets users record voice notes, produced great sound effects.
The 565 also offers impressive expandability: an optional PC Card adapter that connects directly to the device's CompactFlash Type I extended slot to provide wireless Internet access, as well as a built-in card slot for adding memory. Unlike Palm OS devices, however, there are no science probes currently available for the 565.
While an expensive proposition for schools, the 565 offers an amazing amount of computing power and functionality in a pocket-sized device.
Evaluator: Carol S. Holzberg, Ph.D., educational technology specialist.
HP Jornada 565
Emphasis: Cross-disciplinary. Grade level: 4 and up.
Platform: Microsoft Pocket PC 2002. Price: $549.
Developer: Hewlett-Packard; (888) 999-4747
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