A Great Way To Encourage Writing
A Review of Imagination Express Destination: Ocean
Karina Worlton
"Destination: Ocean," Edmark's newest release in the Imagination
Express series adds new features and technology, which are automatically
added
to the other Imagination Express titles. In this release, the user can
create animated and narrated books about life in the ocean.
The target age is 6 to 12, but the program includes options for parents, allowing them to control the available features or to select "Configure for Young Child." When this option is selected, the product is limited to a "powerful electronic puppet theater" suitable for younger kids.
My two-year-old really enjoyed this CD. He loved choosing the graphics to
place on the background and telling me where to put them. Although too
complex for him to play on his own, it is an ideal supervised activity, even
for his age.
The Movie-Making tool is the primary addition to the Imagination Express series. Now kids can "select theme music for their movies, record their own narratives or sound effects and turn on sticker animation in every scene." I was impressed by how easy it was to put a book together, despite the technical capacities of this product. The icons were clear and logical.
Another technological addition is the moveable text areas. Users can add text to every scene in their choice of font, color and size. They can then move those text areas around to anywhere they want in the scene, with or without a decorative border.
There are plenty of background and sticker options. Many of the
stickers are animated--a diver that swims, a bird with flapping wings, etc.
All of them "auto-size," changing proportions to add a real-life perspective
to the scene. The stickers also go where they are dragged, such as into a
cave or through kelp.
The recording procedure was very simple--click on the microphone icon, record narration or a sound effect, and play it back. The recorded sound can then be combined with one of the many included music tracks before or after the "movie." The product also includes sound effects for many of the stickers.
This product, like the others in the series, has several helps to
encourage creativity in writing. "Story Ideas" offers creative suggestions
to help a user brainstorm for story topics. The "Dear Parents Section" is
designed to help parents encourage their children to write. The "Fact Book"
provides information on the ocean environment so users can do research for
their writing.
Since so many kids graduate from high school without good writing skills, I think this product would be a wonderful choice for parents who want to give their kids a head start. It provides a creative platform for children to learn about writing, research, brainstorming, and the ocean environment, while adding an element of fun. Furthermore, users can print out their books and show them off to others, giving them a sense of pride in their work.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
Imagination Express Destination: Ocean |
| Company: |
Edmark Corporation
|
| Cost: |
$35.00 |
System Requirements:
Macintosh:
Color Macintosh (256 colors required);
System 7 or higher; 8 MB RAM;
CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended);
hard disk with 4 MB free; 13" or larger monitor.
MPC:
8MB RAM; Windows 3.1 (enhanced mode);
25 MHz 386 or better; 256 color-Super VGA;
CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended);
mouse; sound-output device.
Recommended for both: printer; microphone.
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 4
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 5
Graphics 4
Sound 4
Overall Score:
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