After thinking about my original post I would have to say that one more thing should be considered before selecting software for a classroom, and that would be money. Currently, you can’t turn on the television, look at a newspaper, or see a financial statement without hearing about or feeling the effects of the economy. Now I’m not saying that we should hold off on educating the youth of this country until we allocate the proper funds, but we should not jump at the first program that catches our eye. I feel that before we purchase these programs for our schools we should present sufficient research. I feel that with a little research we may be able to save money on a similar program that does the same thing, but b/c it is a generic model it is cheaper. So before you select a program make sure that a colleagues job is not going to be in danger for selecting it. With a little research we can create a better learning environment while saving a few pennies too.

I believe that in as we become a more technologically advanced society that we need more math technology in our classrooms if our students are to become successful in a competitive work environment. After reviewing your thoughts on purchasing software I have to agree that one should first consider what the software agreement is. The license agreement can be the make or break part of the your classroom receiving the software. However, I would have to say that after reviewing the license agreement a teacher should look to see if the software allows for students to explore various mathematical concepts. A program like GSP can provide students of any grade level the ability to explore countless concepts, and this will also allow for their ability of critical thinking to flourish in your classroom. I think too often teachers first explore the lower level knowledge based questioning when they begin a new endeavor. We too should think beyond the box, and explore where we can take our students in this technologically rich era.