 Improved Student Achievement
"Provide preschool age children with cognitive learning opportunities in high-quality language and literature-rich environments, so that the children can attain the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary for optimal reading development in kindergarten and beyond." From NCLB Act
Research has proven that visual learning is one of the best methods of teaching valuable comprehension, thinking and writing skills. MediaWorks leverages multiple learning styles to improve students' comprehension and retention and provides capabilities that work together to help young children improve achievement:
- Visual representations of ideas support basic concept and skill development, retention and comprehension.
- Combination of pictures, text and speech support builds on the strengths of each child's learning style.
- MediaWorks supports learning activities aligned with specific state standards that focus on higher order thinking skills.
Standards Alignment
"Ensur[e] that . . . curriculum . . . and instructional materials are aligned with challenging State academic standards." From NCLB Act
Using multimedia supports many learning goals as defined by state standards across the curriculum. Many state standards specifically call for the use of multimedia to enhance learning and skill development.
MediaWorks supports learning activities aligned with specific state standards that focus on higher order thinking skills and that support basic skill development. Sequential ordering and vertical layering are the root and primary skills developed in any MediaWorks multimedia project.
Research-Based Instruction
"Use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research." From NCLB Act
A review of scientifically based research developed by
the Association for the Advancement
of Computing in Education supports the use of graphic
and multimedia editors to provide short-term and long-term
learning benefits:
- Increased comprehension
- Improved writing skills
- Superior retention
MediaWorks enables expression of concepts in multiple
media-text, spoken words and pictures-which research indicates
can lead to deeper understanding and increased retention.
Research in educational and cognitive psychology has revealed that visual learning enhances understanding and retention through dual coding in both visual and verbal modes. Classroom use of visual learning techniques is expressed in the form of multimedia projects, the organization and structure of information represented in text-and-picture presentations.
Studies find:
- Improved memory of written material after using such methods
- General achievement gains when applied to content area reading
Students can use MediaWorks to express their thoughts
and represent what they have learned in multiple media-text,
spoken words and pictures-which research indicates can
lead to higher achievement.
Professional Development
"Provide school teachers . . . with the capacity to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction." From NCLB Act
Integrate technology and improve instruction and assessment by training teachers on the use of MediaWorks across the curriculum. MediaWorks supports exemplary professional development across the country
Interactive Solutions offers teacher professional development workshops to improve technology integration. Training on the use of MediaWorks provides teachers with valuable technology tools for:
- Planning and implementing instruction
- Reinforcing learning strategies that incorporates multimedia
- Supporting collaborative and constructivist learning
- Helping students with diverse learning styles
- Conducting classroom-based assessment
MediaWorks supports activities for engaging technology-based learning experiences. Online resources are available to help teachers quickly and easily integrate the software and visual learning into their curriculum.
Title I - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
"[Meet] the educational needs of low-achieving children in our Nation's highest-poverty schools, limited English proficient children, . . . children with disabilities, . . . young children in need of reading assistance." From NCLB Act
MediaWorks provides capabilities to help low performing students and children with special needs improve achievement:
- Interactive visual representations of ideas and relationships support basic concept and skill development, retention and comprehension.
- Combination of pictures, text and speech support builds on the strengths of each child's learning style.
Part B-Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants and Students with special needs
"[Implement] . . . reading instruction . . . to . . . children . . . with a specific learning disability . . . related to reading . . . or . . . identified as having limited English proficiency." From NCLB Act
MediaWorks provides "reading comprehension strategies," one of five essential components defined by the National Reading Panel (NRP). The findings of the NRP indicate scientific research points to several comprehension strategies central to MediaWorks:
- Generating questions
- Recognizing story structure
- Summarizing
MediaWorks meets the needs of students with learning disabilities and English language learners and offers students with learning disabilities a variety of ways of representing information and ideas:
- Visual compositing of objects and interactive links supports a non-linear representation and connection of ideas; the Sequencer supports a linear representation of ideas
- Supports a multiple learning modality: learning from pictures, video, text and spoken voice
MediaWorks offers English language learners:
- The ability to represent ideas visually-a common means of communicating structure and meaning that cuts across all spoken and written languages
- Voice recording capabilities that support learning the English language in the context of words and pictures
MediaWorks is used by institutions and programs throughout the country that focus on special needs students and students at-risk:
|
“I
was able to create a MediaWorks presentation in less
than an hour. If you want to dip your feet into the
multimedia pool, MediaWorks offers a low-cost, user-friendly
way to do so.” Presentations Magazine - Best
Budget Multimedia Authoring Tool
“For
quick presentations, slideshows, portfolios, client
reviews, and just plain fun with digital photos or video
footage, MediaWorks is just what the doctor ordered.”
DT&G Magazine - Best Multimedia Presentation
Software
“Families
and small businesses get all the necessary tools they’ll
need to create Web movies, professional-styled slide
shows that are a step above PowerPoint presentations,
or interactive CDs. At $79, it’s a great bargain
too.” TechTV - 4 stars
