Home PublicationsL&LIssuesVolume 26 (1998-1999) December-January (No. 4)

PENTÉWA interACTIVE, 833 33rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98144; 206.329.5519; www.pentewa.com

Subject:	Social Studies, Art, ESL, and Bilingual
Grade Level:	4–8 (Ages 9–13)
Cost:	$19.95 each, plus shipping and handling
Hardware:	Windows 95 with at least 8 MB; Macintosh with System 7 or higher and at least 8 MB
Reviewer:	Inés Márquez Chisholm, Associate Professor of Bilingual and Multicultural Education, Arizona State University West

Note: This review was originally combined with the reviews of two other PENTÉWA interACTIVE programs: Chinese Shadow Puppet Theater and Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Read the original in L&L vol. 26 no. 4 for information on these programs.

Delving through software programs marketed as educational, I find many that are barely educational and even fewer that address diversity in a substantial manner. Thus, it is refreshing to come across a new company that promotes understanding of diverse cultures through art and traditional folklore.

PENTÉWA interACTIVE is a Native American, family-owned company founded in 1995 by John Hirasawa and Susan Olivier-Hirasawa. Susan and John are Irish/French Canadian and Hopi/Japanese, respectively, and serve as arts and technology volunteers in central city schools. They have a strong commitment to community involvement, donating part of their profits to provide access to technology in communities of color as well as furnishing free software to tribal schools.

A visit to their Web site (www.pentewa.com) revealed a wonderful resource for teachers, PENTÉWA interACTIVE: The Newsletter. Each quarterly newsletter focuses on an area of the world that is featured in the company’s software programs. The newsletter offers curriculum ideas and suggested cultural activities for the classroom, as well as technology tips for the “technically challenged.”

Software Description

Currently, PENTÉWA programs are on 3.5-inch floppy disks and do not have sound tracks. However, the company plans to reissue all of its programs on CD-ROM with complete sound tracks in future versions. Installation is easy and uses on-screen prompts. The accompanying documentation consists of a four-page booklet with information on installation, navigation, and troubleshooting. I also found that a phone call brought a prompt response, friendly assistance, and courteous service.

Children who use the program must be able to read the on-screen text on each page. The programs are at the fourth-grade reading level, although the content is of interest to older students as well. Further, the artwork in all three programs is distinctly beautiful, authentic, and colorful—making them aesthetically pleasing and engaging. Thus, the programs are appropriate for intermediate bilingual and ESL students who are still developing their English language skills but whose level of cognitive development and interests are beyond the early primary years.

The First Nations, the introductory section, gives a brief historical perspective of the native people of the Pacific Northwest, acquaints the learner with native artwork, and explains the origins of the Potlatch celebration. Illustrations on each screen portray actual pieces of native art. The Potlatch section conveys information on native art and its characteristics, as well as information on the Potlatch. This section also presents 10 single-screen traditional folktales. In Create Art, Tell Stories, the program explains how to make a traditional blanket and box. By cutting and pasting the on-screen native designs, one can easily decorate a bentwood box or button blanket. Suggestions are also included for further learning through museums, newspapers, the Internet, and books.

Strengths

The best features of At the Potlatch are its authenticity, informativeness, and artistic quality. From the very first, I was awed by the beautiful colors and the creative use of traditional native designs for icons and illustrations. Susan Olivier-Hirasawa is an artist who clearly researches and respects the cultural art she depicts. The folk art on each and every screen elevates the experience from using a simple computer program to visiting an art show.

PENTÉWA programs are also kid-tested; children serve as consultants for each program. The Hirasawas observe the children as they try out the programs and incorporate the children’s feedback. Consequently, these programs are both child-centered and educational.

At the Potlatch is a self-contained, integrated cultural lesson that provides authentic information. The Hirasawas carefully researched the program’s content, interviewing natives of each culture and visiting the original sites to see and experience first-hand what they hoped to bring to their programs. In addition, children and adults from the culture helped develop it. The developers want to ensure authenticity and foster respect for the native cultures.

At the Potlatch excellent enrichment projects that are based on the native cultures. They allow for the creative application of learning in the production of original art and writing.

Cost and value are also attractive. PENTÉWA programs are reasonably priced and of high quality. Given limited school budgets for software purchase, these programs are a bargain.

Limitations

The absence of a sound track is a definite drawback in using PENTÉWA programs with developing readers and with children acquiring English as a second language. They would be stronger programs if children could click on particular words and find either an illustration or an explanation of unfamiliar vocabulary items.

One shortcoming I encountered while navigating At the Potlatch was the inability to exit the art project screens. Usually, two to three pages with directions for the project must be passed before you can move on. But even this was tolerable, though slightly annoying, given the small number of such pages.

Another problem I found was in entering story text in At the Potlatch. There are two buttons on the right side of the screen; one allows entry of a title, the second the entry of the body of the text. Selecting either button places the cursor in a small text box at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, this box does not move up as text is entered and must be dragged up into the page. Dragging the box proved tricky: I had to move the cursor very slowly until the bear claw cursor appeared and allowed me to drag the box. Even when the bear claw appeared, it often selected the text rather than dragged the box. Dragging the box in the other two programs was much easier.

At the Potlatch has limited animation and interactivity. Though they provide for some creativity and productivity, these are rather limited in comparison to other programs on the market. In talking with the owners of this small company, I learned they are aware of this limitation and are striving to increase the number of open-ended activities as they develop their new programs.

Recommendation

Overall, I found PENTÉWA software to be thoughtfully developed, educational, artistic, and unique in content. They can be excellent additions to multicultural education, as well as to bilingual and ESL classrooms. Because this small company is a relative newcomer to the educational market, I believe the quality will continue to improve. Two new titles are already in progress: Festivals & Folktales of Japan and A Kwanzaa Celebration. Personally, I look forward to seeing them.

Copyright © 1998, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.