I have always been a bit of a fan of 2Simple Software products and so when its latest three offerings arrived on my desk I opened the package with anticipation. I was not to be disappointed.
2Simple Music Toolkit - I was very impressed with this title and have already bought it for my own school. Having only ever taught one music lesson in 16 years of teaching (and that was for an inspection and was a lesson I'd rather forget!) I am always on the lookout for anything that can help the teaching of music.
The toolkit comprises six different programs which differ in complexity.
The simplest is 2explore which introduces the idea of sound and music on a computer. Next there is 2play and 2synthesise which are both simulations of keyboards. Of these, 2synthesise is more powerful and can produce well over 50 sounds which can be used to play tunes that can be recorded on one of the eight memory banks. The 2beat program is a simple drum machine, which was great fun when exploring rhythms, and 2sequence, which is a composing program, allows the user to produce quite sophisticated pieces of music.
Finally, there is 2compose which introduces standard musical notation to older children. I think that this product is really first rate. It provides a suite of programs that can be used by children from three years to 14 years to produce quite sophisticated pieces of music that can be saved and stored for use in other curriculum areas.
For the teacher there are short video clips for each of the programs which not only explain how they work but also give ideas for classroom work. The CD-ROM contains references to the QCA music scheme of work and other areas.
This is the main reason for liking the toolkit - it was not written to fulfil the needs of an ICT unit in music but as another instrument to be used in musical activities.
I had great fun exploring this program and shocked myself at some of the masterpieces I created.
Star rating: *****
2Simple 2Animate! As children become more familiar with using computers they seem to demand more sophisticated programs at an earlier age. Gone are the days when a simple painting program making pictures would keep the children amused. So, I suppose the next logical step is to make these pictures move.
This next step is developed simply but effectively by 2Animate! For those users familiar with 2Paint it is easy to create the frames for your animations. There is quite a complex teacher options page that allows you to change the program options to suit the ability of the user. As with all 2Simple products there is an extensive user guide. I particularly liked the animation samples that accompanied the program, these would certainly act as a stimulus for children's work.
Also included on the CD-ROM is the program 2Capture which is a simple but effective program which allows for images to be captured using a webcam. I dare not give a likely age range as children seem to become more ICT sophisticated at a so much younger age.
Star rating: *****
2Calculate - One of the hardest areas of the ICT curriculum to teach to pupils (and staff as part of their professional development) is spreadsheets. Once again 2Simple comes to the rescue with 2Calculate. But this program is more than just a simple spreadsheet, it is a versatile tool that can be used to present all manner of maths calculations.
Another good thing about the program is that it comes with activities for all primary school years with accompanying videos. This program lends itself to use on an interactive whiteboard for teachers to create their own lesson resources. With the ability to import pictures, draw graphs, convert currencies, plus a multitude of other functions, this program is a must for a school that has recently invested in whiteboard technology and is now looking to develop its own bank of mathematics resources.
Star rating: *****
