learninghorizons.ie

This program contains a total of 34 interactive games and activities based on topics from the SESE curriculum, and categorised under the headings of History, Geography and Science. The activities are attractive and varied and include exercises on famous characters from history (such as Michael Collins, Gandhi, Anne Frank and Grainne Mhaol), Irish physical and political geography, life cycles and simulated experiments on such topics such as electricity, magnetism, heat and temperature. The "Build a family tree" and the three-dimensional "Build my classroom" activities are exemplary, and encompass enormous educational potential.

The designers have been particularly successful in producing an interface that is visually appealing, child-friendly and very simple to use and navigate. The voice-overs, too, are of impressive quality, as is the graphical content.

In summary, this is a very impressive addition to the steadily growing range of Irish-produced software, combining as it does substantial curriculum content, innovative and engaging activities and a highly professional interface.

Robbie O'Leary, Principal, Sacred Heart S.N.S., Killinarden, Dublin 24.

Local History section was excellent. Great notes for the teachers and good templates are adaptable to any class. I especially liked the video clips which would encourage children to produce their own videos.

Geography section on Ireland is excellent. The graphics are bright and colourful and ideal for the interactive whiteboard. The children particularly loved the quiz at the end of each unit.

Science section is superb, covering unit strands of the New Revised Curriculum. It is a great resource to have in any classroom using interactive whiteboards.

Garrett O'Hanlon, Principal, Kill N.S., Co. Waterford.

The activity-based games are colourful, engaging and were thoroughly enjoyed by the children. From the teachers' point of view, it is a great way to consolidate and reinforce many of the key learning objectives from the SESE curriculum for 3^rd and 4^th class. The software is ideal for use with the interactive whiteboard or on the classroom computer as a stand-alone activity. This is one of the first pieces of indigenous Irish software that integrates History, Geography and Science effectively.

Paul Munroe, St. Michael's B.N.S., Mervue, Galway.

SESE Interactive has some great activities and I really like the bright colours. I tried out almost all of the 34 games and it will be a great resource for the classroom. I can see how almost all of these activities would work on a stand-alone computer or even an interactive whiteboard. My class was able to learn the geography of Ireland, learn all about historical figures and perform science experiments using this software.  It's great to see well-produced Irish software in our schools.

Simon Lewis, Principal, Carlow Educate Together N.S., Carlow.

What a great piece of software for Irish primary schools! We have been putting SESE Interactive through its paces at Scoil Naomh Erc for the past few weeks and the pupils and teachers alike are delighted with this 100% Irish product. The layout is beautifully designed and the games are well thought out and relevant to the various strands of thecurriculum. The older pupils are particularly taken by the "Working as a Historian" module in the History section and can't wait to get going on their own projects as a result. It's really pleasing to find, especially in these challenging economic times, a software package such as this, made in Ireland for Irish children in Irish schools, based on the Irish curriculum.

Gerard Pierce, Principal, Scoil Naomh Erc, Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry.

SESE Interactive is an extremely attractive product.  I like the key elements of  the Irish  SESE Curriculum that have been included  for study and there is a wonderful selection of   interesting and varied topics in each subject area. This is a very easy program to manipulate and the bold and colourful presentations make it extremely suitable for use on an interactive whiteboard.

I used some of the program with 3^rd Class pupils and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to using it again. They really loved the different forms of visual presentation. They loved having the story read to them, seeing other children's art work, choosing answers from multiple choice options, dragging the jigsaw pieces, seeing scores building up by series of red/green dots. They also commented that they liked the mixture of long/short sentences and easy/ difficult questions in close-type assessments in History. It gave everyone a chance to read a sentence and find an answer. The timed assessments in the Geography section generated great excitement and noise!

I really like the short story presentations and the sentence structure and choice of words are excellent. There is ample opportunity to use and repeat scientific words for language development and discussion purposes.

The visual representation for buoyancy, magnetism, insulation and electricity provide teachers with effective resources to explain scientific concepts and I think the assessment section will afford plenty of opportunities to predict and check results.

I like the distinctive Irish flavour of the program and was really pleased to see stories like Alcock & Brown, Gráinne Mhaol, Michael Collins and the life cycle of the Salmon featuring  among stories of international standing such as Ann Frank and  Gandhi.  I was also impressed by the variety of story themes and the gender balance of the program content. There is great scope to introduce and address a number of human rights issues in a manner appropriate to young children. It is also a program that is unlikely to date quickly as all content is classic but relevant in today's world.

A feature of the program that appeals greatly to me is the manner in which all material is concise and clearly focused.  I like the way each section is delivered without delay - no tedious or repetitive introductions or deliberations.  This snappy delivery suits whole class teaching as even the child with limited concentration has no time to tune out. Teachers can provide introductions, clarify issues or elaborate on concepts or topics, if necessary, while using the program.

The assessment activities have enough content to allow whole class participation. The   assessment sections are combined with opportunities to consolidate learning and there appears to be no slow or complicated access to record-keeping.

This is a very suitable program for use in the Irish classroom. Teachers and pupils should enjoy using it as it offers a lot of lovely learning/teaching experiences. It is a welcome resource and I would recommend it as a worthwhile investment for any software library.

Úna Sheahan, St. Louise's Senior School, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10.