SuccessMaker

SuccessMaker serves as another form of technological means that a teacher can include into to their daily instruction.  It specializes in major content areas such as English, reading and math.  Students are given a precise number of questions and are required to answer them in a given time frame.  The questions are directly related to the subjects they are learning and fallow content standards of the present curriculum. 

It is a great tool to use at the elementary level.  The program serves as an additional way of assessing students beyond what they accomplish during instructional periods.  Student progress and measurements are constantly tracked so teachers know exactly how each student is doing on an individual level.  Student performance results in appropriate skill level adjustments made by the program so that work is always challenging but not overwhelming.  

Students unfortunately do not usually react to the characters in which the video portrays.  Although the animation does serve as an entertaining gap between problems, most students do not appear to use it as motivation.  The majority of children are concerned with the final percentage that is provided at the end of the lesson.  

Overall, the positive aspects of Successmaker do in fact outweigh the negatives.  Students love to work on interactive programs on the computer which can also contribute to formative assessments in relation to a student's progress.