MapCaster from Storm Educational Software - NEW

MapCaster allows children to create or use a map of an area of interest and to add relevant photos, videos or podcasts. Maps can be drawn by colouring grid squares (to show the land use), drawing lines (to represent roads , rivers or railways), and adding symbols for buildings, trees or places of interest.

Around the edge of the map, children will be able to place boxes, which can be linked to points on the map. These boxes may contain images e.g. digital photos or aerial views, videos, or audio including podcasts.

Children may also work with ready made maps which may have been scanned or loaded from the internet.

In the centre of the screen is a number of grid squares. Children may:

• draw freehand
• draw lines
• colour in squares
• add symbols onto the map
• load in an image behind the grid squares (even if lines, text, symbols etc. have already been added)
• choose the colour to work in
• add images, videos or audio to the area of screen around the map

 

MapCaster and Curriculum for Excellence

MapCaster provides an ideal creative tool which helps deliver Curriculum for Excellence in your classroom. You and your pupils can create maps onto which photographs, videos and podcasts can be added. Using MapCaster should not be limited to geographical maps but can be used for example in science when studying plants, animals and the human body.

 

There are many experiences and oucomes that MapCaster can help you deliver for example

• Technologies experience and outcomes - ICT to enhance learning
• Computing Science contexts for developing technological skills and knowledge
• Social Studies experiences and outcomes - People, place and environment

During pre-release trials, an Education Development Officer, Scotland said this about MapCaster:

"The fact that it offers opportunities to connect with the world outside school and allows the kids themselves to create and manipulate a range of digital media ticks all the boxes, especially as the end product is easily shared with a wider audience (class, whole school assembly, school website etc.)"

MapCaster is suitable for ages - 5 - 13 years, available for - Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP and Vista on CD-ROM and Apple Mac

For more information on MapCaster and Storm Educational Software's other products please go to http://www.stormeducational.co.uk/