December 13, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Media Contact: Kendra Ericson
Tool Factory Inc.
Telephone: (802) 375-6549 Ext. 201
FAX: (802) 375-6860
Email Address: kendra@toolfactory.com
Website: http://www.toolfactory.com
Tool Factory Inc. Introduces What’s
the Time Mr. Wolf? to Teach Students About Clocks,
Telling Time, Calendars and Seasons
A kindly Mr. Wolf unlocks his cluttered clock shop and welcomes your students
to help him with his chores. He carefully outlines
nine activities, such as repairing a talking clock
or organizing a book about the seasons, all of which
teach and reinforce valuable skills about time, dates,
seasons and vocabulary. Each activity can be tailored
to the ability level of each child, making What’s
the Time Mr. Wolf? perfect for inclusion classrooms.
What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? is offered by Tool Factory Inc., a Vermont publisher and developer of
leading-edge educational software, with the mission
to “make a difference in education.” The program
presents a welcoming environment for students,
ages 4 to 6, and engages them with a brightly colored
clock shop, easy-to-understand instructions and quiet
verbal cues. Wearing spectacles and a green jacket,
Mr. Wolf is a friendly host and patient teacher.
Activities Combine Education
with Entertainment
The Check Talking Clocks chore is a great example of how this program
reinforces valuable concepts. Students are asked to
make sure that a talking clock is correct and are
provided with both analog and digital clocks, along
with verbal cues that associate the proper vocabulary
such as "half-past three", "thirty
minutes past three", and "three-thirty".
The use of a clock face combined with digital time
and vocal explanations ties together concepts using
repetition, association, and self-pacing.
Combined, Mr. Wolf’s nine chores guide students through the following tasks:
* Tell time through experimentation.
* Replace hands on analog clocks
to tell the correct time.
* Tell time to the quarter hour
on analog and digital clocks.
* Distinguish and sequence times
and events throughout each day.
* Order and read the days of the
week and the months of the year.
* Understand seasonal changes.
* Learn the concept of speed and
the meaning of words such as “slower” and “fastest.”
Features for Educators
Educators will appreciate the password-protected “Teachers Options” that
allow the program to be configured to meet student
needs. There are three levels of difficulty for each
activity. The higher levels provide fewer clues, and
rely less on verbal cues, using a more complex vocabulary.
Teachers can also select other options that tailor
the program to the classroom and specific students,
and they can access a complete list of Mr. Wolf’s
chores, the objectives met by each activity, and the
challenges found at each level. Students’ names and
individual results can be saved and tracked over time.
Platform and Installation
What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? installs quickly on Microsoft Windows PCs and Apple Macintosh computers
using OS 8.1 or higher. Individual computer and network
versions are available.
To Purchase
What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? is available by calling (800) 220-8386, visiting
http://www.toolfactory.com, or e-mailing sales@toolfactory.com.
Single licenses are $59.95 and the networked version
is available for $449.95.
About Tool Factory
Tool
Factory is a Vermont publisher and developer of leading-edge
educational software, meeting the needs of educators
and students across a wide range of skill levels and
disciplines. As
a woman-owned, Vermont-based small business, Tool
Factory’s goal is to make a difference in American
education by providing superior educational software.
The Tool Factory staff combs
global markets for the best educational computer applications
available and tailors products to meet the needs of
American educators and students. The staff has also
pioneered its own unique applications designed to
fill niches not addressed in the current educational
marketplace. Teachers, students, and parents join
the Tool Factory staff in testing products to ensure
that they are easy to navigate, fun to use and beneficial
to the learning process. (http://www.toolfactory.com)
For press inquiries, please
call Kendra Ericson at (802) 375-6549 or email kendra@toolfactory.com.
