I would like to use Hal as fun and interactive tool for my 7th grade students to learn life science. I am not a programmer, so I have been editing a "school" brain by using the folders. I tried teaching by using text files, but Hal definately learns better through interaction.
Problems:
1. There is no spell check, etc., in Hal. So I have been entering information in a word document, checking it for accuracy, and then cutting and pasting into Hal. While I am getting efficient, it would be easier if the editor could be used directly within Hal.
2. Hal frequesntly comes up with inappropriate comments for the age group (or for any professional setting). I have spent huge amounts of time manually scanning folders to delete specific lines, tables, and folders. If "control F" could be used withing the folders, it would make life soooo much easier.
3. I have created a "practice" brain in which I specifically try to get Hal to produce inappropriate responses (Heaven forbid that anyone should ever see what is typed into that one!). When something comes up, I then have to switch back to the "school" brain and go through the processes previously describe. Tedious.
4. Appropriate female characters.........OMG! Trying to find appropriate full body female figures is virtually impossible. I am learning that this is a problem using people putty, but there are other programs out there that allow "fuzzy" textures to be added & the SIZE of body parts to be modified. Can anyone give me some links where I can get some Characters (head shots would be fine at this point in time). I have Nicole & Vanessa heads from guile3d (MSagent & expensive for a teacher) and have been to KaracterKing's site for some Haptex characters(what a great person! he has been unbelievably helpful).
I know this is a lot, but the school year is almost here and I am running out of time.
I LOVE this program and see great potential in it; otherwise, I wouldn't be spending my unpaid school vacation working on this!!
Please help!