This software must be seen as one resource among many.
It is but one more way to get children to read and think, write and share their ideas with others. The departure from regular writing software is that the group is always present. The concepts of Reading, Writing, Thinking, Sharing, Co-operating, are never seperated. As easily as one can read a fable, one can write one. Once written it is shareable. Being shared introduces a concept of Co-operating, even if on individual fables. Ideas are picked from other students, writing styles are absorbed, good ideas propagated. In essence, this model assumes that Creation of a document and Communication of a document are one and the same. We think it is one of the more effective methods involving computer technology, even more so then the often hailed telecommunications model. We hope you give it a chance to prove it's worth for your own situation.
If you don't have the mega-bucks to install real "computer" networks, then this simple "people" network model should bring you, and the children, great benefits. If you have a computer network installed, see what this model offers that the hardware-based networks don’t, you will be surprised.
In many cases more relevant and thoughtful work is done in this type of model, even if only because of it's ease of use, setup, and administration, then the full networked models. More time is used in "doing" something with the technology, rather than "trying to get it to do" something for you.
Needless to say it has a strong showing in terms of the cost front as well. Group-A-Ware is very affordable, yielding some of the same results as networking, for a mere fraction of the costs. It also enable you to do these things today, rather than waiting for the funds, training, and hardware required for moving to an integrated network. Group-A-Ware shifts the focus from "networking computers" to "networking" people. We treat kids like "members", not "numbers".
Simple, Concise, and easy to learn environments are what is needed in order to bring Education and Technology together today. We think the Group-A-Ware concept amply fits this bill. We hope you will too.
