Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Educational

chinese language educational software for native chinese speaking kids

alcahofa — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:48:34 -0800

my kids (ages 3 and 6) are beginning to learn chinese. i am looking for useful materials and strategies to get them fluent. i don't speak chinese. one thing that helped a lot in learning spanish (their second language) was spanish language education software that targets native spanish speakers ages 3 to 5. does anyone have any recommendations both for the chinese educational software of this type and how to buy it when you don't speak chinese. there is absolutely nothing more daunting than a chinese language web site.

Walk from Moscow to Istanbul?

sandraregina — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:52:15 -0800

I am trying to remember the name of a board game I played as a child. I got it free in the mail, and it was a travel/geography game. It was a game I got for free, probably from a government agency of some kind. I got the address from a book in the library, where you could write to different agencies and get things for free/very cheap.
It was a travel game that taught geography. The board was foam backed puzzle pieces, that you put together to form a map of the world. You then went from city to city, placing your pins as you went, and linking it with string (like embroidery floss). You travelled by walking, by car, a plane, or a train, depending on a dice roll or some similar randomization. There was also a little plastic ruler, for measuring out distances. There were cards that depicted different roles, and the cities you travelled to in the game were dependant on the role you picked (like international jewel theif, or diplomat, or archaeologist). You had to get to all your cities in the shortest distance possible. It came in a rather plain white box, and it took up a bit of room on the bookshelf at the foam puzzle map stacked up quite thick.
It was well made, at least for a free game, with a fun premise, decent rules, and pieces that stood up to some use. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called though. Does anyone else remember this game? Are there similar games out now?

Where can I find the educational film called "Everybody Works"?

bertrandom — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:51:02 -0800

Where can I find the educational film called "Everybody Works" (I think that's the name)? Preferably a clip on the Internet or a place to order it on-line. Many, many years ago I saw a double feature at the San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts theater in Balboa Park that was Clerks and Office Space, and in the middle they showed this really funny educational film that I believe was called Everybody Works. It was one of those cheesy 50's films that they show to kids and basically it was about how everybody works and has to get a job. I've tried finding it on the Internet but can't seem to find it. I had hoped it was on archive.org but I've haven't found it there either.

Best educational games for child???

lynnie-the-pooh — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:32:25 -0800

What are the best kid games that are educational? My daughter is five and I'm looking for games that are educational. I'm looking for fun ones; the kind that are so fun, my five year old won't even realize that I'm also "teaching" her. I know about bananagrams and scrabble junior. I'm looking for a wide variety of ideas, games that might teach: learning words, or math, or numbers, or science and planets, history, or geography, you name it. Anything that will be fun and we will learn at the same time. While I'm looking for regular games, to get her away from the tv and the computer, I don't mind hearing your views about the best computer CD-Rom game or the best math video you know about. Thanks in advance, and my daughter thanks you too!
Lynnie-the-Pooh

Ancient software for recent humans?

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:38:26 -0800

Can anyone recommend great Apple II software for a kindergartner? I recently acquired and revived a couple of old Apple //e's. I've been having a lot of fun learning about a whole era of computing that I'd missed out on.

My daughter--a few months away from turning 5, but an excellent reader--also seems really enthralled with them (she thinks it's "silly" that these machines are older than her old man).

She's gotten into Word Munchers and a few other games that we've played together, and I'd love to find some more educational-ish stuff that she can dig into.

The problem--quite the opposite of the one I was anticipating--is that software is too abundant! There are literally hundreds if not thousands of disk images that have been ripped and archived online. It takes a few minutes to download, transfer, and write an image to disk, and it's hard to tell what any one program has to offer until you do; so if anyone out there has any good memories of particular titles, please help me narrow down the list!

Make this Mac interesting to kids!

amanda — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:04:46 -0800

My husband lucked in to a free iMac and we'd like to set it up for our neice who is 11. Can you help us trick it out? We haven't done much investigating into what is currently on the machine but we're pretty sure that if it has any software on it that it'll be office related which would be really boring for an 11-year-old!

We don't know her super well as she's the stepdaughter of my sister-in-law and fairly new to our family. She seems in to the typical tween girl stuff -- princesses, magical stuff, Disney -- but is also pretty smart and inquisitive.

We have a small budget to put into it but, of course, great resources for free games -- fun and/or educational -- would be ideal.

Good microscope for kids?

Doofus Magoo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:29:30 -0800

What's a decent microscope for a seven-year old boy? Our son will soon be turning seven, and much to my delight, has started to express a pretty strong interest in science. We thought we'd get him a microscope for his birthday, but as my wife and I have little experience with them, we don't have the first clue about the features, brands, etc., we should be focusing on.

I think what we're looking for is something where he can stick a bug or a leaf under there and get a really good look at it; we probably don't want to spend a bunch of time mucking around with preparing slides and things like that (although we wouldn't be averse to buying pre-prepared slides). I imagine the ideal gift is a microscope where he can grab a leaf or a bug or something and stick it under the microscope with a minimum of fuss. Our budget for this is probably around $100.

Even if you don't have a specific model recommendation, are there particular features that we should be looking for? I read somewhere that when buying a microscope for a kid, you'll usually want to go with a stereo scope -- is that true? What about magnification -- how high will it need to go?

I've seen this question, but that seemed to be geared towards a budding scientist quite a bit older than seven. There's also this question, and although the QX5 recommendation looks pretty solid, we're wondering if there are additional models/feature sets we should be looking at, given that we're not really interested in it being portable.

Appealing, school-appropriate video game clip?

daisyace — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:00:02 -0800

I would like to find a link for a short video clip of a video game that meets certain criteria. It will go into a presentation to elementary school teachers, as a quick backdrop to a point about interactive games that will be used in school, and that will be fun while challenging kids to think and learn. (It won't itself BE that game; it just has to plausibly look the part.) It needs to have some connection to an outer space theme. So to recap and clarify the criteria:
* At least a 5-second, decent quality clip available online.
* Looks appropriate for kids younger than 12.
* Looks appropriate for a school setting (so, no shoot 'ems, etc.).
* Look like it helps kids think and learn, but preferably not as explicitly as math sums that appear on screen or something - think more like 'puzzles and challenges,' less like 'pick the word that starts with A.'
* Looks interactive.
* Some connection to an outer space theme.

Suggestions would be great, links even better.

Simple French-language booklets for Kenyan French teacher of elementary students?

vanoakenfold — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:00:38 -0800

On a recent trip to Kenya, we visited a school who is in need of simple French language instruction booklets for elementary-age children. Most all of the language guides I've found are texts along the dense hardback or college variety, or come on DVD which wouldn't be at all feasible. Any ideas? They already know English. Just some simple, basic French core grammar structuring and lessons. They've recently been loaded up with young refugees fleeing from nearby French-speaking countries and are hoping to teach some to English-speaking kids. The teachers are very intelligent and college-educated but lack the resources I've got.

Help me find this flashcard program?

Proginoskes — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:56:03 -0800

About a year ago, I installed a freeware program onto my Dell Axim to aid with learning. Since then, the program has been removed and I've forgotten what it was called. I'm hoping someone out there can help me. The program was for learning languages and memorization. I remember that data to be memorized was added to the program in pairs (i.e. "Ottawa" and "Canada"). The program would display one of the two strings (Ottawa) and then show a prompt to be clicked after the user had tried to remember what the matching string was. Clicking the prompt would display the matching string (Canada). If I recall correctly, several options were displayed where the user could enter how well the text had been recalled ("I remembered it immediately", "It took a bit of thought", "I was completely wrong", ...). The program would keep track of which were memorized less correctly and show those more frequently.

If anyone can help me find this again, I'd really appreciate it.

Educational cartoon short about oil/petroleum?

BlackLeotardFront — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:54:40 -0800

I'm looking for a great short educational cartoon about oil and petroleum that may or may not have been posted in the blue a long time ago, definitely elsewhere on the net. My extensive searching has uncovered nothing and someone else may simply remember the title. It was 50's cartoony, obviously biased in favor of the industry, but seemed scientifically accurate. Any clue?

Bueller?

trig — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:21:52 -0800

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, a DS lite "game," is apparently really useful for learning kanji. So much so that people in this thread recommended it over dedicated electronic dictionaries. Any other DS software you'd consider that useful? At first I was thinking about things like educational software, flash card programs that let you make your own cards, &c. But really I'd like to know about any DS programs that are so useful you'd recommend them hands-down above other resources. Doesn't matter what they're useful for.*

* except time-wasting please, unless your software cures it.

Open Source Video

McLir — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:57:24 -0800

Who provides the best Open Source video editing? I have edited video in analog and digital (Final Cut Pro) and now I am searching for an open source editor that will do basic tasks.

The features I most want are basic linear editing plus the ability to do overlays.

The material I will tape will not be technically demanding. But it would be nice to have a good tool for some very basic stuff. (Looking to make some educational videos.) Thanks!

As inevitable as death…

NotMyselfRightNow — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:25:33 -0800

Recommendations on a good online summary/overview of educational tax credits and deductions in the US? Some details: I’m an adult, living in Mass, working full time and attending grad school. Expenses are tuition, books, supplies, etc. I’m just looking to get an idea of what (if any) of my expenses might work in my favor come 15 April. And yes, I know you’re not my tax professional, and I should talk to a tax professional. I will, but want to do some homework ahead of time. Thanks!

Name that Apple //e edutainment software

Your Time Machine Sucks — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:17:29 -0800

Name that Apple //e edutainment software (Troll gems? Driving? Townhouses? Looking stuff up?) This is pretty self-indulgent so apologies in advance, but it has honestly been inexplicably bugging me lately, and if I'm going to get an answer, I'm probably going to get it here. I used to really dig this Apple //e game as a kid and I can't remember its name, and all perusal of retro game sites has turned up nada.

Relevant details: You drove around some town on a top-down map in a lozenge-looking car, going to houses and answering school research-y related questions (i.e. "when was the great wall built?") and you would get...I think...troll gems? Or parts of a single troll gem? Which were also lozenge-y? And if you had enough of them you would upgrade your house and move to a new map? I distinctly remember that the order of house upgrades went something like shack-->townhouse-->mansion or equivalent. I don't think it was Snooper Troops FWIW; I don't recall the investigation element being there. But I could be wrong. I don't think it was part of one of those Scholastic sets either.

Bonus (much easier) question: what was that game from the same era in which you were basically a conquistador exploring and exploiting the new world? I remember crossing the ocean took forever and you could export a hell of a lot of gold. It was supposed to be educational but mostly functioned as an imperialism simulator, which bizarrely seemed to impart the message that imperialism could be highly satisfying if you were a good gamer.

Thanks for shedding any light!

Please recommend informative documentaries or educational videos that can be found on-line

MetaMonkey — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:19:58 -0800

I like to learn stuff by watching videos. Please recommend informative documentaries or educational videos that can be found on-line. Slight qualification: I'm aware of various aggregators and educational sites with loads of videos - I'm looking for recommendations of specific videos (or series of videos).

Examples: History of the Amen Break, Warriors of the French Foreign Legion, Connections, Computer Networks - The Heralds of Resource Sharing

What's the best Christmas gift I could buy for my young nephew, who has shown an early interest in music?

mrkinla — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:37:10 -0800

What's the best Christmas gift I could buy for my young nephew, who has shown an early interest in music? My nephew is almost three, and although many kids have an interest in music at his age, he seems to really enjoy it. The only TV show he'll sit still for is "Little Einsteins" on the Disney Channel, which teaches musical concepts and includes some classical music. He enjoys making up his own little songs, and his favorite video is a Laurie Berkner Band DVD. Among his many toys, there's really no musical instrument-style toy -- aside from a xylophone, which is just an invitation for children to bang metal incessantly with a little mallet.

I'd like to get him some sort of educational toy for Christmas, one that teaches basic music knowledge but can also go beyond just what individual notes sound like. Any suggestions?

Educational Wall Chart

davar — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:05:25 -0800

Can you help me find a great educational wall chart to put on our living room wall? I have seen these previous askme questions. I am considering this history poster or a National Geographic world map, but maybe I am missing something fantastic? Do you have an opinion over which is better/nicer/more useful?

I am looking for something that is quite big, at least two meters (about 80 inches) wide. I am hoping to find a happy medium between useful/educational and great looking (and for that reason I currently lean towards the world map, since the history chart looks like it is quite cluttered). It would be nice if the subject was kind of broad, I am not really looking for a dinosaur or planet poster or a poster, but if there is something astounding that does not meat all my requirements, I will consider it. It should be interesting for young children and adults alike. I do not have any specific goal in my mind, I am not planning to use it to actively teach my children, just as something interesting in the house.

Michael McGee/Fred C. Dobbs ?

therealshell — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:31:56 -0800

Where is Fred C. Dobbs ....?? There used to be a show that aired on TVO (Channel 19), the educational station in Toronto, called McGee & Company. Michael McGee was the star, and he played numerous characters, and offered up devestating political satire. He also played the old codger character called Fred C. Dobbs. I have tried for years to find out whatever became of McGee, but even TVO was not able to assist me. If anyone out there knows, please let me know.

Help me find a lost film I saw online

cilantro — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:56:50 -0800

Looking for a video I saw online a while ago - an educational film made to teach mentally retarded girls about menstruation. It looks like it was made in the late 60's, early 70's. It was very calm and repetitive and a little bit eerie, but sweet and gentle at the same time. The whole family talks to the young girl about what menstruation will be like and her older sister demonstrates how to use pads.

Educational software - no copy protected

richg — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:16:40 -0800

Can anyone recommend educational children's software, for grades 1-3 or so, that's not copy-protected? It's sure annoying to purchase retail software and go to install it, only to find out that it's copy-protected. We're running Windows Vista. I'd like to find education programs for my primary school children, mainly reading and arithmetic (other school subjects fine, too). I'm just a parent of a 5 and 8 year old, not a school. I'm not going to pirate anything and I'm willing to pay full price. I just don't want to buy software where you have to have the CD-ROM in the drive to run it. I want to install it to the hard drive and have it run from there with the CD-ROM drive empty.

And of course, I'd like it to be a well-written program that kids like to use.

Learn-to-read serial in Chicago paper. I think.

kmennie — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:45:38 -0800

Wanted: a book of a learn-to-read cartoon of sorts, likely serialized in a (Chicago?) newspaper, c. 1950-1970. Stuff I can remember:

-- two fairies, one inexplicably named 'AE.' Dialogue: "AE, I O U a kiss!"

-- my (mid-70s vintage?) copy of this less-than-outstanding work was a fairly large book, wider than it was tall

An educational classic it was not, but I'd still like to get my hands on a copy. All my mother remembered was "I think it was out of a Chicago paper; it'd been a serial."

I realise this is very little to go on...

The Most Exciting Library

tmcw — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:34:33 -0800

ChildhoodMemoryFilter... I keep remembering a Laserdisc movie from way back that included a library, the dewey decimal system, and a force field... I can't remember much more, but I think it was the last library on earth or something of that sort, and it had a spherical force field around it, as well as something underground. I was absolutely taken by whatever this educational film was, but I can't find it even with the most fervent Googling. Any ideas? This is an educational film, almost definitely on LaserDisc, played in New Jersey around 1991? to teach kids about libraries.

Channel One video?

aladfar — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:55:30 -0800

A friend of mine would like to share Channel One educational video with her graduate class. While Channel One makes programs available through their website, they don't include any of the "in between" content; advertisements, etc. As there isn't much demand for this content outside of schools, file sharing networks aren't very useful. Any ideas on how to track down some content?

Study guide design elements

hodyoaten — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:12:30 -0800

I'm going to be writing a certification workbook, and am trying to come up with an engaging design. I'd like ideas for study guide features/layouts you like and those you hate. I'm going to be designing a certification program intended mainly at hobbyists and new professionals (age 15-150, median age 30). I've done several regular books that have done very well, and now I want to develop a structured self-study learning program as I've gotten lots of requests for such a thing and now's the time for me to do it.

The subject material is somewhat dry, so I want to make the workbook layout engaging. Obviously the simple, dull way is to do a block of content, then cap off each section with ten questions followed by a long underline in which to write answers. That's not the way I want to go.

Better ways include practice exercises and hints/tips up and down the margin, multicolor layouts, subtle but "catchy" graphics (i.e. dotted boxes) for answer blocks, and so forth. Do you have any ideas for design that can really engage the reader? On a related note do you find occasional quotations, cartoons, and humor refreshing or distracting?

I'll head to the bookstore next week and look at some study guides for ideas, but I just wanted to toss this out and see if anyone had some thoughts on "features" or layouts that captured them. Also I'd like to hear about things you've hated.