WOODLAND HILLS : School Fair to Offer Software for Pupils

Woodland Hills Elementary School will host a computer software fair Saturday in an effort to raise money for more classroom computers and educational software.

Those attending can sample the latest in educational software as well as a variety of multimedia encyclopedias designed for elementary school children. Tickets will be sold for $1 for such prizes as a multimedia computer system, multimedia speakers and various software titles.

At the fair, popular titles such as the “Carmen Sandiego” geography series will be on display, said Richard Krzemien, a Woodland Hills Elementary School parent who is helping coordinate the event.

“One of the fair’s purposes is to educate the community about the exciting possibilities of multimedia technology,” Krzemien said.

Through interactive software programs, children and teachers can explore topics at a rate that was inconceivable in the past, Krzemien said. “These are tools we should all be taking advantage of,” he added.

In an effort to do just that, Krzemien said, a group of Woodland Hills Elementary parents and teachers formed a “technology committee” seven months ago to devise ways of incorporating multimedia technology into the school’s curriculum.

One project they hope to fund with money raised at the fair would establish multimedia computers in each classroom. The computers would be linked to a schoolwide computer network with Internet access. With the system, students would be able to communicate with each other from different classrooms or with students in different states or countries.

“This can redefine what ‘research’ means to these kids,” Krzemien explained. “If they wanted to do a school project on global warming, they could contact Australia for the latest information available from that region.

“Our most important goal is to make it possible for these students to walk away from elementary school excited about learning,” he said. “These kinds of tools will accomplish that goal.”

The Woodland Hills Elementary School Computer Software Fair is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday in both the school library and auditorium. Admission is free.

For more information, call (818) 347-9220.