Turtle Pond - Applet Review

Get the Turtle to the Pond
K-2
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L396

Summary: This is an application geared for grades K-2. This is a simple game developed to help students apply measurement and basic geometry knowledge. The students are given directional buttons which include moving forwards, backwards, rotating the turtle 90 degrees left or right. The students get to choose how many units to move their turtle. They have to get the turtle to the pond, and then the turtle splashes in the pond. The students could also document their paths on paper by drawing the turtle and his journey to the pond and writing our the steps including the measurement units. The students will be able to write directional words including right, left, forwards, backwards. They will also be able to use the applet to create an appropriate path to the pond.

Critique:
I think this is a really great applet for K-2. It is very age appropriate with a good amount of challenge. This has the strength of letting learners have interaction with what they are learning. They can also determine the level of difficulty by pushing different buttons that put barriers in the way and also that take the grid off of the page. This could be difficult for students who are directionally challenged. This would be a good use for students as an extension to what they are already learning in class.