Educationcity.com

[speckytecky]

Anyone got experience of ::: EducationCity.com ::: Interactive Education ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: They just got in touch with us and their claim is a 60% SATS improvement at KS2 after a few months of use.

[leco]

Anyone got experience of ::: EducationCity.com ::: Interactive Education ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: They just got in touch with us and their claim is a 60% SATS improvement at KS2 after a few months of use.

 

It is used in my Primary school in maths and english lessons as well as revision club and by Making Good Progress tutors. Apparently it is very good and the pupils love it.

[sharkster]

we use it in this specail school, the kids love it and its very good program,

[SimpleSi]

Its an online interactive learning tool - i.e fun games and learning mixed together

 

It is fun and interesting but the big thing with it is that it can be personalised for each child if you want/have the time and effort to do so.

 

In Lancs, we were led down the path of having Espresso for "free" and now we pay about £2/pupil year for it - its quite good esp for Foundation/KS1.

 

If I was making descisions and starting from scratch with nothing - I think I'd recommend Education City over Espresso as although it costs more - it gives more. (Cost £660 total for maths/eng/science from foundation to KS2)

 

Its got a homework module which I imagine would be very popular with certain parents at £2/pupil/year.

regards

 

Simon

[contink]

All my schools use Educationcity and one uses Espresso.. Both are pretty good and each has it's own strengths.

 

Educity is more interactive and I'd guess the kids enjoy it more for it's "fun" and flash games style approach whereas Espresso tends more towards providing resources, exercises and more traditional materials. Given the choice I'd probably start with Education city and get Espresso after if the budget was there.

 

Almost forgot, Espresso does have a planning system that allows resources and topics to be linked together into a specific lesson plan or activity so really switched on teachers can put together a lesson that the kids can work through without needing lots of "ok, now click on the word "start"", etc...

[Sylv3r]

The only experience we have with education city is being constantly spamed on a weekly basis with e-mails going to the head, SENCO and myself as well as others im sure. The product does look OK but its something we aint interested in at this stage and time.

[localzuk]

We use it in school for Maths, Science and English (and have a 3 year subscription). Kids love it, and staff like using it as it engages the kids and they pick things up nicely from it.

[Paul_L]

I will endorse what most people are saying, one of my schools use it and think it's great

[kxv2020]

I personally think its an excellent tool, with kids really reaping the benefits. It is flash based - kids love it and learn too! Teachers can track progress on individual children making it personalised learning.

[laserblazer]

Kids love it, staff love it and I don't know how to use it, which means it is dead easy to use and doesn't break.

[eean]

I won't get it (partly) because I find their marketing very aggressive! - They won't stop pestering me "Here's the free trial password you requested" (to persuade the secretary to put them through.)

 

I relented and looked at it once (OK - 2 years ago, things may have changed). Yes, lots of attractive flash games but not very cleaver. If a kid got an answer wrong, it just kept flogging the same dead dog, till they got it right by default. No feedback of any value to the teacher. It's the modern day shut-up sheet (AKA worksheets).

 

We have TONS of 'flash maths games' thanks to Interactive Resources which, also, aren't cleaver but just as attractive - and just £99 for a one of site licence. We have all of their products and staff are overwhelmed enough by that as it is. Quantity <> Quality.

They just got in touch with us and their claim is a 60% SATS improvement at KS2 after a few months of use.

WHAT?? Do they even know what that means? Sounds like a load of BS to me. A 60% improvement in what?

 

 

If I were you, I'd buy something cheep and cheerful like Interactive-Resources to fill the desire for "Something to keep the kids quiet during homework club" then save up and invest in a decent program, like RM Maths, that tailors itself to children's needs and provides real feedback to teachers.

[localzuk]

I relented and looked at it once (OK - 2 years ago, things may have changed). Yes, lots of attractive flash games but not very cleaver. If a kid got an answer wrong, it just kept flogging the same dead dog, till they got it right by default. No feedback of any value to the teacher. It's the modern day shut-up sheet (AKA worksheets).

 

There is feedback, if you set it all up to do that.

 

We have TONS of 'flash maths games' thanks to Interactive Resources which, also, aren't cleaver but just as attractive - and just £99 for a one of site licence. We have all of their products and staff are overwhelmed enough by that as it is. Quantity <> Quality.

 

Variety is the spice of life.

 

If I were you, I'd buy something cheep and cheerful like Interactive-Resources to fill the desire for "Something to keep the kids quiet during homework club" then save up and invest in a decent program, like RM Maths, that tailors itself to children's needs and provides real feedback to teachers.

 

We use loads of different flash based tools. One thing I see is that different sites seem to work better for different modules.

[contink]

I'd agree with Ian re: the marketing, they are very pushy but if you take this into account you can play the game to get a better rate. Had one deputy head do this when it came to renewal.. They phoned and offered him a 5% discount and I think he managed to get it to 25% by repeatedly saying "No, I can't afford XX, there is simply not the money in the budget!".

 

TBH.. I don't see the flash game CD's as being of the same quality as educationcity as much because there's rarely any continuity between tasks whereas EC has characters and the like which provide more context that the kids can get into and follow. EC games tend to be more self-led too and require less teacher leading which could be used as easy way out but in general most of the EC usage I've seen has been directed and monitored. Sure the scores aren't much use but it does motivate the children.

 

Just my 10 penneth worth n' change.