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Testimonials
| Media Reviews
| “We are planning to offer the World
History Comparative Civilizations course on CD-ROM next semester.
You have indeed done an excellent job -- I wish that high school
courses were that interesting when I was there.” |
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Paul Montgomery, Principal, Consortium of Distance Education
Schools of BC
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| “This is a stand-out product. Students
will be inspired to delve further into history as they explore
the program’s deep and well-presented content.” |
Ann Orr, Senior Editor, Children’s Software
Revue.
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| “This is a truly exceptional
resource for teachers and students! It's the best way to teach
-- by telling stories. It develops students' understanding of
the key historical events by combining narrative with superb
images and authentic music. I want to put a copy into the hands
of every social studies teacher in my district!” |
Dr. Bill Cole Cliett, Jr., Deputy Superintendent,
Curriculum and Instruction Services, Gainesville Florida School
District
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| “What a treat to receive
your new CD on World History! It is impressive in its graphics,
video, music, text--very engaging for a former world history
teacher who even loved teaching it from a text. Congratulations!” |
Larry Cuban, Professor (Emeritus) of
Education at Stanford University, CA.
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| “Very impressive…The imagery,
which includes great masterpieces of art, photographs, artist
renderings, etc., is rich and often striking…The program
is fascinating, well designed and thoughtful.” |
Children’s Software Revue, May/June 2003
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Media Reviews
 Children’s
Software and New Media Revue May/June 2003
World History: A Comparative Civilizations Perspective
All Star Award
Very impressive, this survey of world history
was created post 9/11 and focuses not only on major historical trends,
personages and events, but also on various cultures and their world
views. There are sections specifically devoted to Muslim culture,
the fight against terrorism, the inequalities between peoples and
other issues of importance in the 21st Century. Beginning with the
Paleolithic Age and continuing to present day, the program offers
narrated slide show and video lessons. The imagery, which includes
great masterpieces of art, photographs, artist renderings, etc.,
is rich and often striking. Each of nine chapters includes discussion
questions and suggestions for follow-up activities, plus lists of
additional resources. "Big Picture" ideas are used as
thematic scaffolding on which to present historical events. One
of these ideas, for instance, is that civilizations have been and
continue to be shaped by creative and destructive impulses that
reside, side by side, in humans. The program is fascinating, well
designed and thoughtful. What it lacks is interactivity. Aside from
clicking through the lessons, you won’t find any other interactive
elements. Volume pricing is available. p.14
School Library Journal August
2003
World History: A Comparative Civilizations Perspective
This teaching tool for world history will
appeal to many learning styles. It is a comprehensive history course
using sound and images to teach about different historical periods
and cultures. While music plays, a narrator representing each period
in history tells the story of that era as maps, video, and images
from works of art associated with the culture being discussed appear
onscreen. Beginning with an introduction, eight chapters from Prehistory
to Ancient History, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment
and the 20th Century discuss and illustrate social, political, economic
and cultural issues. Voices representing real or imagined people
from each era (Nefertiti, Confucius, Archimedes, Machiavelli and
others) describe what is was like to have lived during that time.
Teachers may select chapters at random. Printable additions at the
end of each chapter include study questions, timelines comparing
cultures and events, links to web sites, bibliographies, follow-up
activities, and self-evaluation exercises. The program is easy to
navigate and use. Some of the conversation is chatty and informal,
which might detract from the seriousness of the subject or become
distracting to some students. Teachers could use this program to
supplement textbook learning, to generate research projects, for
individual instruction, or for tests. – Pat Bender, The Shipley
School, Bryn Mawr, PA p.76
Teacher Librarian Journal October
2003
Best New Software
World History: A Comparative Civilizations Perspective.
This two CD package provides a complete look
at the topic. The self-paced learning along with the excellent follow-up
activities and self-evaluation exercises make this a good resource
for distance education, library resource centers and alternative
schools.
Joanne Troutner, p.25
Today’s Catholic Teacher
– August 2003
World History: A Comparative Civilizations Perspective
This very impressive survey of world history
was created post 9/11 and focuses not only on major historical trends,
personages and events, but also on various cultures and their world
views. There are sections specifically devoted to Muslim culture,
the fight against terrorism, the inequalities between peoples and
other issues of importance in the 21st century. Beginning with the
Paleolithic Age and continuing to present day, the program offers
narrated slide show and video lessons. The imagery, which includes
great masterpieces of art, photographs, artist renderings, etc.,
is rich and often striking. Each of nine chapters includes discussion
questions and suggestions for follow-up activities, plus lists of
additional resources. "Big Picture" ideas are used as
thematic scaffolding on which to present historical events. One
of these ideas, for instance, is that civilizations have been and
continue to be shaped by creative and destructive impulses that
reside, side by side, in humans. The program is fascinating, well
designed and thoughtful. What it lacks is interactivity. Aside from
clicking through the lessons, you won’t find any other interactive
elements. p.12
Practical Homeschooling, Sept-Oct
2003, [Excerpted]
Wouldn't you like to hear history firsthand
from the people who lived it? The World History: A Comparative Civilizations
Perspective CD-ROMs make it as close as possible to do exactly that.
This course takes advantage of computer technology to give you a
curriculum that is truly unique….Rather than limit the presentation
of history to only the Western world, World History informs you
of important events and cultural developments around the world.
The timelines provided in the supplementary sections help keep it
all in perspective….You might wonder if it's possible to provide
a complete high school course in world history that truly is comprehensive
and challenging on only two CDs. Like most other curricula, a lot
of the answer depends upon how you use it. It's possible to watch
each presentation passively, and there are no mini-quizzes or ways
to interact that would prevent you from doing this. But if you follow
up each presentation with the supplementary sections--the follow-up
activities, self-evaluation questions, timelines, maps, supplementary
readings and related web links--then you have a comprehensive course….[the]
questions are thought-provoking, and can be answered mostly based
upon the presentations. The follow-up activities require research
beyond what is presented and include projects in music, art, video,
writing, computer and more. You can expand upon both the questions
and activities as much as you like, making this program nice for
a variety of ages and depths of interest….There's irony in
reviewing history curriculum. Too many programs are so watered down
that there's nothing left to discuss. Teaching for Thinking's World
History takes chances and in so doing, provides lots of fodder for
discussion and criticism. For the mature, auditory/ visual learner,
this program provides an excellent survey course that is unique,
thoughtful and provocative. I look forward to seeing what other
curriculum is produced by this company.
By Teresa Schultz-Jones
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