1 User
IT-SW23
5 Users
IT-SW24
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SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra
Switch operated cause-and-effect fun software
SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra is an exciting new program that looks at
different habitats across the world, the kind of animals that live
there and their characteristics, behavior and diet.
Now switch users can explore the African savannah, see crocodiles in
an Australian swamp or see how seals live in the Arctic. Many
different animals are covered, including mammals, birds, insects,
reptiles and fish.
Look at the food chain - what does the hedgehog eat, and how does he
avoid being eaten? Also think about camouflage and different methods
of hunting for food.
Discuss issues of habitat, endangerment and animal protection. What
will happen to the chimps if the bulldozer destroys all their trees?
What can frogs tell us about life cycles — and why does the male
peacock look different from the female?
SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra can be used in 3 different ways:
• Event Sequences (Stories): 12 little animations each
based upon farm animals and rural life. Each sequence has 5
steps, carefully chosen to maximize speaking and listening.
• Picture Building: build one of 15 pictures and see them
animate, or use the one-step option for basic cause-and-effect.
• Flash Cards: flip through a selection of 30 large
pictures that relate to the wildlife theme.
All of the SwitchIt! Extra activities have bright, dynamic screen
displays that attract the student’s attention while sound and speech
feedback, along with animated reward scenes, encourage them to
engage with the computer. They also provide access to various
curriculum subjects.
Each activity has been designed to provide opportunities for
language development. An adult would work alongside the child to
make sure that the child gains maximum benefit from the program.
What are SwitchIt! Extra Flash Cards?
‘Flash Cards’ are single images taken from the program’s theme. They
appear on screen in response to switch presses, with an additional
press to hear the accompanying text spoken.
What are SwitchIt! Extra Picture Builds?
‘Picture Builds’ create composite pictures piece by piece, in
response to switch presses. You can vary the number of presses
required in order to build the complete picture. When it is
complete, the user is rewarded by lots of exciting animation and
sound.
SwitchIt! Extra Stories?
‘Stories’ are stepped, animated sequences that are revealed in
response to switch presses. There are four-second pauses between
each step, to encourage students to watch and understand the
unfolding story. You can use these to discuss what the characters
are doing and why.
Also included is a new Picture Menu. This will allow non-literate
students to choose which story or picture they would like to play,
from a selection chosen by the teacher or carer.
Switch Access in the SwitchIt! Extra Series
The SwitchIt! Extra Series provides lots of fun cause-and-effect
activities for young students, those with special needs, and those
at an early developmental stage. They can be accessed in lots of
ways — the mouse, keyboard, touch monitor, IntelliKeys, or one or
two switches — and provide plenty of motivation to help the user
engage with the computer.
The programs help students to increase their ability to use switches
and to demonstrate an understanding of language concepts. In
addition they help stimulate and encourage movement and hand
function, develop visual skills, and provide students with access to
a range of learning situations - particularly those limited in
physical movement who cannot access traditional methods.
Learning about cause-and-effect is the first step in switch
operation: the user needs to develop an awareness of the
relationship between their switch presses and the resulting reward.
Some students grasp this immediately while others require lots of
practice with a wide variety of activities. The SwitchIt! Extra
Series provides plenty of opportunities to learn and develop this
skill in a visually stimulating and appealing environment.
Choose how many steps it will take for each scene to be completed
Set the length of reward after each switch press
Picture menu allows children to choose scenes for themselves
User Options
Each program in the SwitchIt! Extra Series has many options that
allow you to tailor the activities to suit your students’ needs. You
can even save the settings for each user to save time later.
For more details about options that can be customized,
click here.
Off-computer Activities and Resources
Opportunities should be taken to extend a child's work with switches
away from the computer and each SwitchIt! Extra title now comes
complete with worksheets and resources, using characters and objects
from the program.
The off-computer resources can also be helpful in checking that the
child understands what they are seeing on the screen and is relating
it to everyday objects.
There are also additional computer activities, to extend the
learning opportunities provided by the Flash Cards, Picture Builds
and Stories.
Worksheets
• Dot to dot
• Odd one out
• Fill in the missing letter
• Matching words to pictures
• Color flash cards
• Story sequencing cards
• Coloring pages
• Number work 1 to 5
• Number lines
• ‘Talk about’ cards
• Tracking activities
• Small picture cards - for matching, memory games, sorting or lotto.
Braille Worksheets
The CD-ROM includes many worksheets for children who are visually
impaired. These can be printed onto swell paper and put through a
heat machine to create tactile activities.
Get the best from your
IntelliKeys
Use your IntelliKeys to display flash cards, complete picture
builds, and tell simple stories by touching the board or pressing an
attached switch. The
board will work as one or two switches.
SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra is targeted at the following age ranges:
• All Ages
SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra is designed to foster development in the areas
of:
Early concepts
Switch use
Cause-and-effect
Choosing with a switch
Users can access SwitchIt! Wildlife Extra in the following ways:
• Mouse/ Trackball/ Joystick
• Keyboard
• Single or Multiples Switches
• IntelliKeys
• Touchscreen
Win 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Mac OSX
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