Edwin Educational Software


Statement of Purpose


1.   The Vision

     If I were teaching, what would the best of all possible
worlds look like?

     From in front of my class of 30 students I would present the
lesson.  Then, each of my 30 teaching assistants would take a
child and help him one-on-one to master the subject.

     At the end of the period, each teaching assistant would tell
me the status and progress of each student.  Each day until the
subject is mastered, each child would return to the exact lesson
she was doing and continue to work with her assistant at her own
pace.

2.   Teaching Assistant

     I don't have 30 teaching assistants.  Maybe I don't even
have one.  But the remarkable software offerings from Edwin
Educational Software allow a computer to act as if it were a
teaching assistant.  If a child can access an IBM_type PC
Computer running Microsoft Windows for as little as 10 minutes a
day, it will be as if you had a teaching assistant for that
subject.

The Edwin program will do most of the things a good assistant
should do:

     *    Provide immediate correction and help for wrong
          answers.

     *    Keep track of how well a child is doing.

     *    Reward progress and concentration.

     *    Offer progressively more difficult sets of problems.

     *    Make up problems for a child to work on at home.

3.   The Three Hour Course

     Edwin software is designed to be used in many situations,
but it is structured as a course in a specific skill.  For
example, in basic addition, the child will progress from simple
table memorization (5+5) with pictures to complex addition such
as 123+456+789, including carry.  Within each skill level the
child will first be helped with pictures and answers, then tested
without help, then finally given an standardized-type test (ie
multiple choice) before progressing on to the next level.  A 
teacher-accessible scoring system checks to make sure each
student masters each level before progressing further.

     The screen is designed so the work is done exactly as it is
on paper, so there will be full carryover of skills when the
computer is not available.

     For basic addition, if each student works all three modes
within each of the six levels for 10 minutes, this becomes a 3
hour addition course.  If given as 10 minutes a day, this would
be about a one month study in this subject.  Students, however,
work entirely at their own pace.

4.   Now and Future

     Edwin Software decided to walk before running.  We present
programs to fully master basic addition and subtraction right
now. Other programs are being developed rapidly, and multilingual
extension of all programs will be provided this year.

     In addition to programs which will handle multiplication to
333x444 and division to 8888/99 (with remainders) we will have
programs for fractions, estimates, decimals, and measurements.

     One of our more exciting offerings now being demonstrated is
math word problems, in which skeleton math problems are built and
filled by the computer so that no two are ever alike.  Access to
creation of these problems by the teacher makes this a truly
unique educational offering.

     As technology advances with sound and video becoming more
common, Edwin will provide reading courses, keyboard tutorials,
science, and social studies.

     There is no limit to what focused, intelligently designed
computer software can do to help every teacher around the world. 
Edwin hopes to play a big part in these exciting developments.

5. SHAREWARE
      
     Edwin home products are distributed as shareware.  If you have an 
unregistered version and like this program, please register it by sending
$15.00 to Edwin Educational Software.  
     Edwin Education Software is a member of the Association of Shareware 
Professionals.  

     This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware 
Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principal works works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a 
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member 
directly, ASP may be able to help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you 
resolve a disput or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe
message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.