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Recommended Software
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Recommended Software Topics

Word Processing Programs
Desktop Publishing and Writing
Database Programs
Spreadsheets and Integrated Programs
Authoring Tools/Presentation Software
Web Tools
Art and Imaging
Authoring Tools/Presentation Software
Early Childhood
Language Arts/Reading Programs
Math Programs
Music Programs
Problem Solving and Logic
Programming
Puzzle Utilities
Reference
Science Programs
Social Studies Programs
Kidspiration
Neighborhood Map Maker
Special Education
Typing Programs
Teacher Utilities
Graphics Programs

CHAPTER 4

Word Processing Programs

AppleWorks 6.0, Apple (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

See the Spreadsheets and Integrated Programs section for more information on this program.

Microsoft Word 2003 (Windows) and Microsoft Word X (Macintosh), Grade 12-Adult

Word is a feature-laden word processor that first became popular in its Macintosh version. It enables students to generate tables, design forms, and create newsletters, indexes, résumés, and outlines. Additional clip art, templates, and wizards enhance the program's value. You can even create graphically rich Web pages using Word.

WordPerfect, Corel (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 12-Adult

WordPerfect is a sophisticated, full-functioning word processor program. This best-selling word processor includes Grammatik, a grammar checker; advanced drawing features; and an equation editor. WordPerfect is well known for its fast technical support.

CHAPTER 5

Desktop Publishing and Writing

Amazing Writing Machine, Riverdeep (Macintosh), Grades K-6

This program inspires children to write and illustrate their own stories, journals, essays, letters, and poems. They can design pages from scratch or use predesigned templates. The program has a built-in spelling checker and a rebus tool that transforms words into pictures.

Clicker 4, Crick Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-6

Clicker 4 is a unique writing program with a fully integrated talking word processor. Using this program, you can write with pictures as well as words. You can use all kinds of sound, photographs and video to create material for all curriculum areas. The program is perfect for the early writer or the child with learning disabilities.

Easy Book Deluxe, Sunburst (Macintosh), Grades 3-8

With Easy Book Deluxe, children create real books with a minimum of effort. They write their stories and then illustrate them with simple paint tools. The program determines the page layout and is even able to print on both sides of the paper.

Imagination! Express, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-6

Students create interactive books and print out beautifully illustrated stories with this program. The program features a multitude of illustrated backgrounds, hundreds of character and prop "stickers," a text-placement feature, a sound recording option, and music capabilities.

Kid Works Deluxe, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, DOS/Windows), Grades K-4

Kid Works Deluxe, is a combination word processor, text-to-speech program, and paint program in a simple-to-use package. Students learn to express themselves in Spanish or English, and they can listen to the computer read their own stories.

Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft (Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Microsoft Publisher performs a variety of functions from creating a business card or flyer to producing a newspaper. The program requires less learning time than QuarkXPress or PageMaker, but it is more complicated than Imagination! Express. You can work from scratch or work through a series of questions posed by the program to determine how to build your publication.

PageMaker, Adobe (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 11-Adult

The publishing package that launched the desktop publishing revolution, PageMaker gives advanced users the ability to produce professional documents quickly. The program uses an intuitive electronic pasteboard that enables you to lay out and view text and graphics easily on a page. Several templates and predesigned publications come with it.

QuarkXPress, XTensions (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 10-Adult

This program is becoming the standard for desktop publishing, offering a full range of features for the sophisticated user.

Storybook Weaver Deluxe, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-4

Storybook Weaver Deluxe gives young students a simple interface with which to create elaborate storybooks that combine graphics, sounds, and text. The easy-to-use word processor has a spelling checker, a thesaurus, and text-to-speech capabilities. This program operates in both English and Spanish and has drawing tools and an excellent collection of graphics.

Student Writing Center, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-10

Student Writing Center is a quality word processor and desktop publishing program. This program comes packed with features, including a spelling checker, a bibliography maker, a thesaurus, process writing capabilities, and grammar tips. Included in this package are 30 predesigned letterheads and borders and more than 150 clip art pictures.

Ultimate Writing & Creativity Center, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

Students create reports, signs, journals, storybooks, and newsletters. This program has the ability to read documents aloud. It also features animation.

Writing Trek, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-10

Students participate in 12 structured real-world learning projects. They develop an understanding of writing, experience literary examples, answer questions, and complete their own writing projects.

Writer's Companion, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Writer's Companion is a combination graphic organizer, word processor, and desktop publishing program. Students brainstorm, organize, and sequence their work. When they are satisfied, they can produce a rough draft.

CHAPTER 6

Database Programs (see also Integrated Programs)

Access, Microsoft (Windows), Grade 9-Adult

Access is a database program that improves the way you share, organize, and access information. The program is sophisticated and comes with a multitude of high-end features.

FileMaker Pro, Filemaker Incorporated (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

An easy-to-use but still powerful and sophisticated piece of database software, FileMaker Pro offers many layout possibilities to meet the varied needs of students and teachers without compromising output or performance.

TableTop Jr. (K-5) andTableTop Sr. (5-12), Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

Using these tools, students can sort, manipulate, and create data sets. Both programs provide databases for students to explore.

CHAPTER 7

Spreadsheets and Integrated Programs (see also Database Programs)

AppleWorks 6.0, Apple (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

AppleWorks combines word processor, spreadsheet, database, drawing, painting, and presentation modules smoothly and flawlessly. The program enables the student to quickly build graphs, slide shows, and pictures. It is packaged with clip art images, sounds, movies, and templates that duplicate what students are learning in school.

The Cruncher, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

The Cruncher is an enjoyable and easy-to-use spreadsheet tool that teaches how a spreadsheet works, when to use one, and how to create one. The spreadsheet comes with ready-to-use templates and projects and an easy-to-use step-by-step tutorial.

Lotus SmartSuite, IBM (Windows), Grade 7-Adult

This program includes a spreadsheet, word processor, time and contact manager, presentation graphics, database, and PC multimedia recorder. SmartSuite brings you an easier way to publish documents to your Website. You can access Internet news and weather with a click of the mouse and also analyze Web data in Lotus 1-2-3.

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

Microsoft Excel is an award-winning spreadsheet. It combines its spreadsheet with graphics and a database. The program offers more than 16,000 rows and 250 columns. Excel's features include multiple fonts, auditing tools, a dialog editor, drag-drop cell operation, and 3-D chart types. The latest versions of this program are Excel 2003 for Windows and Excel X for Macintosh.

Microsoft Office X, Microsoft (Macintosh), Grade 9-Adult

This program includes five applications--Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, the Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation graphics program, the Entourage e-mail and personal information manager, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. There are additional clip art, templates, and wizards to give users extra value for their money.

Microsoft Office 2003 Standard Edition, Microsoft (Windows), Grade 9-Adult

This program includes five applications--Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, the Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation graphics program, Microsoft Outlook e-mail, and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

WordPerfect Office, Corel (Windows), Grade 9-Adult

WordPerfect Office includes WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, Corel Presentations, Trellix 2, Corel Print Office, Corel Central, as well as hundreds of templates, hundreds of fonts, and thousands of clip art images. You can install the entire suite or only the specific programs that you use.

Works, Microsoft (Windows), Grads 9-Adult

Works is a versatile and simple integrated software that includes a word processor, data management program, spreadsheet, and calendar. The calendar enables you tomanage your schedule, keep track of events, and set up reminders.

CHAPTER 8

Authoring Tools/Presentation Software

Create Together, Bytes of Learning (Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Create Together is a multimedia-authoring tool that uses wizard guides for hyperlinked or linear presentations. If you want to create these presentations from scratch, you can use its scalable tool sets. You can also collaborate with other students on any network.

Ezedia MX, eZedia Inc (Macintosh,Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Ezedia MX is a multimedia authoring tool that enables students or teachers to create digital résumés, yearbooks, research reports, multimedia slide shows, and portfolios. It is an intuitive program that has a simple drag and drop interface that does not require scripting or programming.

HyperStudio 4.0, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

HyperStudio is an authoring program that is used worldwide. It offers many built-in features and functions, including color, laser disc capabilities, CD-ROM support, animation, scrolling, and exporting to the Web.

Keynote Apple Computer, (Macintosh) Grade 5-Adult

Keynote is an extremely easy to use presentation program for Apple computers. Using this program you can create compelling presentations with beautiful charts and tables. Keynote has professionally designed images and themes.

Leonardo's Multimedia Toolbox, NEC (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

Students or teachers can use Leonardo's to create multimedia presentations. This program has paint tools with which students can draw, paint, and edit lines, circles, rectangles, and freeform objects. Leonardo's also comes with animation tools that enable users to animate images with different effects and movements.

MediaBlender, Tech4Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

MediaBlender is a multimedia-authoring tool that runs on your computer, or you can access it online (tech4Learning.com/mediablender). This authoring tool is easy to use and has many art tools.

MicroWorlds EX, Logo Computer Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

MicroWorlds EX is a multimedia-authoring tool that introduces students to problem solving and creative thinking. Students use this Logo-based toolkit to create and combine graphics, text, animation, music, and sound in interactive books, newsletters, maps, and other products.

MovieWorks, Interactive Solutions (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

MovieWorks has all the tools that you need to create QuickTime movies, videos, and multimedia presentations. This program has a drag-and-drop interface.

MP Express, Bytes of Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

This program is an easy-to-use multimedia presentation tool for children as well as adults. Its streamlined design and simplified user interface enable beginners and advanced users to produce high-quality presentations in minutes.

PowerPoint, Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

PowerPoint is a presentation tool with which high school students turn ideas into powerful presentations. The program features instant layouts, on-screen directions, and tool tips that make compelling multimedia presentations. PowerPoint enables you to create overheads for class presentations, slides for a meeting, or dazzling effects on-screen.

CHAPTER 11

Web Tools

Adobe GoLive, Adobe (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

GoLive enables students to create professional dynamic Websites. The program is integrated with other Adobe products such as Illustrator and PhotoShop.

ClickBook, Blue Squirrel (Macintosh, Windows), All Grade Levels

Using ClickBook, you format documents and Web pages presentation and you can print out Web pages as booklets. There are 100 layouts you can pick from including brochures, certificates, and flip charts.

CyberSnoop, Pearl Software (Windows), All Grades

CyberSnoop enables the teacher to customize lists of sites for individual students. It also has an extensive array of fully researched Websites that are updated on a daily basis.

Dreamweaver, Macromedia (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

Dreamweaver is a professional Web design program for the advanced student. Dreamweaver can be customized using HTML, JavaScript, and XML. There is a photo editor to incorporate classroom pictures.

FoolProof Security, Smartstuff Software (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

FoolProof prevents users from deleting critical files and applications, making unauthorized changes to the desktop, saving unwanted programs, running disallowed programs, and corrupting the operating system, whether accidentally or maliciously.

FrontPage, Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Using FrontPage, students can create and manage good-looking Websites. They can quickly create Web pages with WYSIWYG tables, hyperlinks, thumbnail images, counters, graphics, and so on. This program even has management features to keep the site at a top performance level. The program also protects again viruses and prevents teachers and students from receiving e-mail containing pornography.

Gaggle.Net, FTC Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Gaggle.Net insures that your classroom has safe e-mail. The teacher has control and provides a personal e-mail account to every student without any worries. If there is an unfriendly message, it is routed to the teacher first.

Spam Sleuth, Blue Squirrel (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Spam Sleuth eliminates the junk mail you are receiving via e-mail. It works with programs such as Eudora, Outlook, and Outlook Express.

Web Wacker, Blue Squirrel (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

This program enables you to save to your computer hard drive Internet sites that include text, graphics, and HTML links. This capability is ideal for presentations and working with students off-line.

Web Workshop 2.0, Sunburst (Macintosh/Windows), Grades 2-8

Students can easily create Web pages with the standard drawing tools, dozens of backgrounds, and a clip art library. The program has one-step publishing that students can use to send their projects to their Internet server or to publish them free on Sunburst's site.

Web Workshop Pro, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-12

Web Workshop Pro is a sophisticated Web publishing program with advanced editing and assembly tools. The program has one-step publishing with which students can send their projects to their Internet server or publish them free on Sunburst's site.

CHAPTER 12

Art and Imaging

Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 10-Adult

This program, the standard for photo design, is a production tool for images that you can print and use on the Internet.

Adobe Photoshop Album, Adobe (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Students and teachers use this program to organize and locate digital photographs. Using the program's simple editing tool, they can fix basic flaws in pictures. They can then share their images in an album, PDF slide show, video CD, greeting card, calendar, and more.

Adobe PhotoShop Elements, Adobe (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

Adobe PhotoShop Elements gives you all the features that a beginning photographer needs and then some. This program has step-by-step directions that explain how to combine photos, add special effects, and remove red eye.

CorelDraw, Corel (Windows), Grade 6-Adult

CorelDraw is an excellent illustration and image-editing software package with powerful tools. This program enables you create to exciting designs that add spice to your school reports and projects.

DeBabelizer, Equilibrium (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 10-Adult

DeBabelizer is a high-powered automated application for students working with graphics, animations, digital video, the Web, and desktop products. This program can automatically perform an unlimited number of graphic processes on an unlimited number of images for any specification for an entire batch and output everything to more than 90 bit-mapped file formats.

Disney's Magic Artist Studio, Disney Interactive (Windows, Power Mac OS), Grade 3-Adult

Disney's Magic Artist is a drawing program that creates realistic-looking effects such as whipped cream and bubbles, paints that smear, musical selections, and much more. The program includes a tutorial on how to draw Disney characters.

ImageBlender, Tech4Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

ImageBlender helps students find images for their Web pages and projects. This program is an editing gem that students use effortlessly to crop images, add a bevel, add text, and much more. ImageBlender has a wonderful assortment of paint tools and graphic effects.

iMovie, Apple (Macintosh), Grade 1-Adult

iMovie is a video editing program that can be downloaded from Apple's website. Beginning students or teachers can edit their own video footage by using drag-and-drop procedures. You do not have to be an expert to use this program.

JumpStart Artist, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-4

JumpStart Artist is a creative drawing program that enables students to explore the art world. They are introduced to fine art examples and use spray paint and colored chalk.

Kid Pix Deluxe 3, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-8

Kid Pix Deluxe 3 (the latest version) enables the student create a digital storybook, multimedia movie, or comic book with original art, sounds, music, or animations. The program features a set of art tools, and it has slide show capabilities. It has been a favorite for years.

Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-8

With Kid Pix Studio Deluxe students can edit photos adding special effects, voice painting, and sound effects, and use real art tools such as chalk and magic markers.

Print Artist Gold 2003, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

An easy-to-use program, Print Artist enables students to design posters, banners, signs, greeting cards, and more, in a matter of minutes. The program features more than 10,000 full-color graphics, 1,500 professionally designed layouts, and 600 spectacular photos.

Print Explosion, Nova (Macintosh), Grade K-Adult

The student can produce greeting cards, signs, banners, and more with this program that features rich graphics, layout capabilities, and text effects.

Print Master Platinum, Riverdeep (Windows, Macintosh), Grade 3-Adult

With this useful program, you can create cards, posters, newsletters, Web pages, labels, slide shows, and calendars.

Print Shop Deluxe 15 EEV, Riverdeep (Windows) andPrint Shop (Macintosh), Grade K-Adult

This classic program comes in different variations, such as Print Shop Pro, and Print Shop Deluxe. With Print Shop's clip art, borders, and fonts, you can create calendars, posters, signs, banners, greeting cards, personal stationery, and advertising material. In addition, Print Shop offers easier-than-ever Web publishing.

VideoBlender, Tech4Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

VideoBlendercombines videos, sounds, pictures, and text to create digital movies, video portfolios, and video stories. Students can capture video from video cameras; collect images from the Web, CD, or digital camera; and record their own audio tracks.

Authoring Tools/Presentation Software

Create Together, Bytes of Learning (Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Create Together is a multimedia-authoring tool that uses wizard guides for hyperlinked or linear presentations. If you want to create these presentations from scratch, you can use its scalable tool sets. You can also collaborate with other students on any network.

Ezedia MX, eZedia Inc (Macintosh,Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Ezedia MX is a multimedia authoring tool that enables students or teachers to create digital résumés, yearbooks, research reports, multimedia slide shows, and portfolios. It is an intuitive program that has a simple drag and drop interface that does not require scripting or programming.

HyperStudio 4.0, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

HyperStudio is an authoring program that is used worldwide. It offers many built-in features and functions, including color, laser disc capabilities, CD-ROM support, animation, scrolling, and exporting to the Web.

Keynote Apple Computer, (Macintosh) Grade 5-Adult

Keynote is an extremely easy to use presentation program for Apple computers. Using this program you can create compelling presentations with beautiful charts and tables. Keynote has professionally designed images and themes.

Leonardo's Multimedia Toolbox, NEC (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

Students or teachers can use Leonardo's to create multimedia presentations. This program has paint tools with which students can draw, paint, and edit lines, circles, rectangles, and freeform objects. Leonardo's also comes with animation tools that enable users to animate images with different effects and movements.

MediaBlender, Tech4Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

MediaBlender is a multimedia-authoring tool that runs on your computer, or you can access it online (tech4Learning.com/mediablender). This authoring tool is easy to use and has many art tools.

MicroWorlds EX, Logo Computer Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

MicroWorlds EX is a multimedia-authoring tool that introduces students to problem solving and creative thinking. Students use this Logo-based toolkit to create and combine graphics, text, animation, music, and sound in interactive books, newsletters, maps, and other products.

MovieWorks, Interactive Solutions (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

MovieWorks has all the tools that you need to create QuickTime movies, videos, and multimedia presentations. This program has a drag-and-drop interface.

MP Express, Bytes of Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

This program is an easy-to-use multimedia presentation tool for children as well as adults. Its streamlined design and simplified user interface enable beginners and advanced users to produce high-quality presentations in minutes.

PowerPoint, Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

PowerPoint is a presentation tool with which high school students turn ideas into powerful presentations. The program features instant layouts, on-screen directions, and tool tips that make compelling multimedia presentations. PowerPoint enables you to create overheads for class presentations, slides for a meeting, or dazzling effects on-screen.

Early Childhood

Blue's Clues: Blue Takes You to School, Blues Clues Software (Windows), Grades K-2

Students explore a preschool classroom by painting pictures, singing songs, gardening, and steering a boat around objects that are in a water table. This program is the seventh in a series of wonderful programs.

Chato's Kitchen, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

Chato's Kitchen is about a mambo-loving cat named Chato. This multicultural program stresses friendship and learning to get along with each other. Interactive games and writing exercises reinforce the lessons.

Clifford Reading, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

Clifford Reading takes place at a carnival, where students engage in a collection of six early reading activities. For example, Monique's Word Painting activity has students drag letters onto a blank canvas to form words and see them illustrated.

Disney's Mickey Kindergarten, Disney Interactive (Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

This program teaches math, counting, logic, addition, creativity, and telling time. The setting is downtown Disney, where Mickey Mouse, a star reporter, is trying to find something to write about. He discovers writing material as the students play seven different games with quality music and graphics.

JumpStart Series, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-2

Knowledge Adventure creates this series of early learning programs in reading and math. Students learn to navigate through a schoolhouse full of interactive educational songs, puzzles, and games with a friendly host.

Living Books Series, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

There are seven terrific interactive stories in this series. The titles include Arthur's Birthday Deluxe by Marc Brown and The Tortoise and the Hare, an Aesop's fable. The books were developed by reading specialists and curriculum experts. They include lesson plans, student activity sheets, thematic units, two copies of the books and two CD-ROMs for every title.

Math Blaster for 1st Grade, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-8

By playing five activities, students practice counting, adding, and subtracting, sorting sets, measuring, telling time, and counting money. This program not only has math drill and practice activities, but also has activities that involve higher-level thinking skills.

My Amazing Human Body, DK Multimedia (Macintosh, DOS/Windows), Grades K-4

A 3-D skeleton teaches the students about topics that range from human anatomy to health. Students engage in activities such as building a body and playing a "taking me apart" game.

My First Incredible Amazing Diary, DK Multimedia (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-3

Using this program, students engage in written expression. My First Amazing Diary enables students to create pictures of themselves, family members, or friends by combining different facial features.

Oz--The Magical Adventure, DK Multimedia (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

Oz--The Magical Adventure has nine fascinating puzzles that take place in the Land of Oz. The program promotes problem-solving skills and is great with special education students because of its auditory directions and picture signs.

Putt-Putt Joins the Circus, Humongous Entertainment (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

Putt-Putt Joins the Circus teaches logic and problem solving in a very entertaining fashion. Students steer a car through the different screens, meeting people and collecting useful objects. The Putt-Putt series consists of a whole collection of programs that include titles such as Putt-Putt Enters the Race, Putt-Putt Travels Through Time, Putt-Putt One-Stop Funshop, and Putt-Putt: Pep's Birthday Surprise.

Reader Rabbit Builder EEV (Enhanced Educator Version), Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-3.

Reader Rabbit Builder EEV combines phonics instruction, skill-building activities, phonemic awareness, and interactive storybooks. Reader Rabbit and Sam have adventures that help users practice important reading and comprehension skills. The program uses 18 interactive storybooks that help students practice the skills that they learned in the different activities. The EEV version features a whole class progress report and printable assessment tests.

Reader Rabbit's Math, with ADAPT, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-4

The setting is Pirate Island, where the students engage in nine exciting activities. There is a customized feature that uses a pretest, and the teacher can keep track of each student's progress.

Reader Rabbit Personalized First Grade, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-2

Students are taught spelling, word recognition, math, and music in this delightful Reader Rabbit program. Students must help Reader Rabbit save Wordville's annual musical performance by completing a series of activities, including collecting props, costumes, and musical instruments. There is a pretest to diagnose student strengths and weaknesses.

Reader Rabbit's Ready for Letters, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

This fun-filled program features six activities with wonderful cartoon characters and lifelike speech and animation. Children learn letters, find shapes and colors, match words and letters, and spell.

Stickybear ABC Deluxe, Optimum Resource, Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

Stickybear ABC Deluxe teaches the alphabet using four different activities. The students learn phonics and how to pronounce, select, write, and identify letters. The program is easy to use and comes with terrific graphics and a management component.

3D Froggy Phonics, Ingenuity Works Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

3D Froggy Phonics helps students master basic phonics concepts. This engaging phonics program helps the students learn the sounds for each letter and learn early spelling and reading skills. Students can also see videos that illustrate letter sounds.

Stickybear Time, Optimum Resource, Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

Stickybear Timeteaches children to tell time in hours and minutes through four terrific self-paced activities that provide practice with telling time, sequencing, and calculating time and teach the history of telling time. You can purchase this program in an English/Spanish version.

Language Arts/Reading Programs

American Book Classics, Clearvue/eav (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

American Book Classics is a series of nine classic short stories featuring introductions, summaries, graphics, follow-up quizzes, and story notes. There are unique illustrations and exciting narratives.

Bailey's Book House, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

When children enter the enchanting environment of Bailey's Book House, they learn the alphabet, make rhymes, and develop visual memory and discrimination. They create adventure stories filled with spaceships, flying carpets, and monsters.

Check Wagon Bill's Language Skills, Micrograms (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-5

Students travel the trail with Chuck Wagon Bill and other helpful characters that give us practice in language skills. Along the way, help screens tell users the important rules of punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.

Destination Reading, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-3

Destination Reading is a comprehensive reading program that is divided into two courses, K-1 and 2-3. The program has 500 activities with lesson games, songs, open-ended writing tasks, make-and-take projects, and much more. Using the program's Learning Management System you can track each student's progress.

English Resource Center, Homeworkhelp.com (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

English Resource Center covers English grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and composition. This four CD-ROM set has in-depth lessons, games, quizzes, and writing activities with plenty of examples.

Grammar for the Real World, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

Grammar for the Real World, a simulation, teaches grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling. Students have to proofread letters from TV stars for incorrect punctuation and grammar, fix news anchors' reports, identify parts of speech, and tailor material to certain audiences.

High School Advantage, Encore Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

This set of six CD-ROMs teaches 10 core subjects with a multitude of lessons, animations, and activities. The students work at their own pace on exercises in such subjects as vocabulary, reading, writing, and science.

High School Reading Comprehension, Optimum Resources (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

Optimum Resources offers this excellent, high-interest comprehension series for high school students. The curriculum areas covered include history, cars, fashion, and famous people. There are multiple-choice as well as essay questions for each section, and a student progress report can be printed.

Hollywood High, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

Hollywood High encourages creative writing and provides an opportunity for students to listen to their own written work and make revisions. When students use Hollywood High, they choose characters, expressions, and scenery for a play. They write scripts, add actions, edit the scripts, and then listen to and watch the characters perform.

Instant Immersion Spanish Deluxe, Topics Entertainment (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

If your class needs to learn a foreign language, there are numerous foreign language programs including the Instant Immersion series. Topics Entertainment provides tutorial programs in 33 languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian. The programs come with speech recognition technology, cultural videos, entertaining games, and interactive lessons with native speakers.

I Love Spelling, DK Interactive Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

I Love Spelling, for ages 7 to 11, is a collection of classic spelling games, such as a spelling bee and hangman, and anagrams that are packaged in a cartoon format.

Island Reading Journey, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-5

Island Reading Journey is a multimedia program that contains reading comprehension activities to help the student read for meaning. This program has exercises for 100 intermediate-level books commonly found in classrooms or libraries.

JumpStart Series, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-6

The JumpStart series presents award-winning programs in which students learn to navigate through a schoolhouse full of interactive educational songs, puzzles, and games with a friendly host.

Kaplan SAT & PSAT ACT, Encore Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

Kaplan SAT & PSAT ACT is a tutorial program that uses a step-by-step approach to help secondary students master the strategies for dealing with material found on the SAT, PSAT, and ACT tests. This program covers all pertinent subject areas.

Kreative Komix, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-Adult

Presently there are two programs in this series, Super Hero Comic Book Maker and Fairy Tale Comic Book Maker. These multimedia programs have all the necessary background and props to bring students' favorite comic book or fairy tale characters to life. Students can click on text and record their own voices and animate characters in a sequence. Furthermore, students can create characters, print stick puppets, and make puppet show backdrops.

Lawrence D. Duck: Language Arts Private Eye, Lawrence Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Lawrence D. Duck investigates unsolved mysteries. Students help this able detective by clicking on footprints and answering language arts questions, identifying parts of speech and capitalizing letters.

Leap into Phonetics, Leap into Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Pre-K-1 (ESL)

Leap into Phonics teaches pre-K through first-grade students the eight beginning phonemic awareness phonic skills: rhyming, auditory memory, sound segmentation, alphabet, sound substitution, blending sounds, identifying environmental sounds, and nursery rhymes.

Literature Classic Companions Series, Clearvue/eav. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-8

Literature Classic Companions are CDs designed to increase students' skills in writing, interpreting, and enjoying literary classics. The CDs range from American Literature, with stories such as The Red Badge of Courage and The Grapes of Wrath, to The Nature of Evil CD, with stories such as The Turn of the Screw and Jane Eyre. Each CD offers a word processor on screen, activities, and a database of quotations.

Interfact Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, Two-Can Publishing (Macintosh, Windows) Grades 9-12

The Romeo and Juliet CD-ROM offers a fresh approach to a fantastic classic. The CD comes with a soft cover book that has the complete text of the story told in Shakespeare's play and summary and historical information. In addition there are five exciting games that help the student recall the material.

Reader Rabbit Learn to Read System, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

Reader Rabbit Learn to Read is a delightful reading program for the beginning reader. This is an easy-to-understand set of reading activities that teaches letters and sounds as well as the most frequently encountered sight words.

Reading Blaster 5th Grade, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-7

Reading Blaster is an exciting adventure game that reinforces reading, spelling, and vocabulary. As with Carmen Sandiego, students earn clues to find the identity of a crook.

Stories & More: Time and Place, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-3

This high-quality program teaches reading comprehension with a multicultural flavor. Students choose one of three delightful stories that emphasize different cultures, places, and times. The stories are beautifully illustrated, and they can be read silently or read by the narrator. There are pre-and post-activities. A similar program by Edmark is Stories & More: Animal Friends, which teaches reading comprehension through the following stories: The Trek (by Ann Jonas), The Gunnywolf (retold by A. Delany), and Owl and the Moon (by Arnold Lobel).

Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears? Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears? is a traditional African story that has specially composed music, animated video segments, and narration by James Earl Jones. This program contains games that reinforce reading skills and a record-keeping feature that records a student's progress.

The Time, Life, and Works of Dickens Clearvue/eav (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 7-12

Students learn about Charles Dickens and the times in which he worked and lived. Using the CD-ROM, students can see pictures of Victorian England and hear words written by Dickens to describe these Victorian scenes. Also included is an audio program that features excerpts from four Dickens works.

Math Programs

Applied Math, Plato (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Students master measurement, conversion, and estimating, as they relate to a work setting. They move through three types of activities, which include tutorials and mastery tests.

Carmen Sandiego Math Detective, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

Carmen Sandiego Math Detective teaches pre-algebra, geometry, division, fractions, and percents. The students embark on 12 missions to Carmen's hideouts. During each mission, they encounter five different math activities.

Destination Math, Riverdeep (Windows/Macintosh), Pre-K-12

The Destination Math series is a comprehensive collection of math CD-ROMs that teach basic skills. Selecting from a range of topics, students can choose a tutorial or workout. The topics shown are very motivational because they occur in real-life contexts.

Fraction Fireworks, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

This program is a basic introduction to fractions. Students experiment with numerator and denominator to see how a fireworks display will look.

Geometer's Sketchpad, Curriculum Press (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

Using Sketchpad 3, students manipulate and create geometric figures. They are able to explore freely or use the program as a tool to do assigned problems. The program comes with a user manual and sample activities.

Geometry World--Interactive Explorer, Math Realm-Cognitive Technologies Corporation (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Geometry World teaches and reinforces geometry concepts in a unique 3-D environment. The areas covered include the Pythagorean theorem, angles, lines, polygons, circles, perimeter, area, and solids. There are activities on tessellation, tangrams, Venn diagrams, and geoboards.

Hot Dog Stand Top Dog, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

In class the students experience what it is like to be in the competitive real world operating a hot dog stand in competition with computer-generated vendors. Students try to outperform their competitors by selling the most food to different types of customers. In the process they learn how to do research, how to calculate probability and statistics, money management, how to make graphs, and much more.

Ice Cream Truck, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

Ice Cream Truck, an exciting simulation, enables lower grade students to experience being ice cream truck drivers. Students begin with $500 and try to earn as much money as possible by stocking up on the products they think will be in the greatest demand.

Math Advantage, Encore Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

Math Advantage covers eight core math subjects: pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, and statistics. There are animated examples, narrated text, quizzes, games, and over 3,000 problems. The in-depth tutorial has a hint system, with step-by-step problems solutions, and real-life examples of math applications.

Math Arena, Sunburst (Windows, Macintosh), Grades 4-6

Sunburst's Math Arena is a unique program with which students practice the essential math skills, including working with money, calculating probability, and geometry skills. The students play in a training or a competition mode, by themselves or with two or three other people. Then 20 puzzles range from Venn diagram sorting puzzles to probability exercises.

Math Blaster: Algebra, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

This tutorial program reviews and gives practice in algebra basics. More than 670 problems cover different areas of algebra. New problems can be added with the editor feature.

Math Blaster 9-12, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-6

This version covers multioperand equations, adding fractions, logic, and more. It has more than 50,000 problems and 10 levels of difficulty. It includes an easy-to-use spreadsheet and graph program. The Math Blaster series covers the ages of 6 and up with programs such as Math Blaster 6-9, Math Blaster 9-12, Math Blaster Pre-Algebra, Math Blaster Algebra, and Math Blaster Geometry.

Math for the Real World, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows). Grades 5-8

Math for the Real World teaches fractions, decimals, time, money, charts, and measurement. The program lets students use their math skills in a real-world context by joining a band and traveling to 10 cities across the United States.

Math Munchers Deluxe, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-12

Students race through a grid to capture a solution to a math challenge while avoiding evil troggles. The program teaches 20 topics that range from prime numbers to factors.

Math Missions, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Pre-K-5

Math Missions is a delightful program with thousands of problems that support the NCTM standards. Using this program students are confronted with real-world problems in which they use their math skills to run businesses.

Math Mysteries, Tom Snyder (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-7

By using Math Mysteries program, students learn the skills to solve math word problems. Students find this program helpful for passing state exams.

Math Skill Navigator, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

Math Skill Navigator helps the student prepare for standardized tests for grades 9-12. This program gives instruction and math practice. The program offers a customized curriculum to give students additional help in preparing for state exit exams.

Mighty Math Calculating Crew, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

Mighty Math Calculating Crew helps students improve their math problem-solving skills. This program invites students into an animated world of math adventure. They are given practice in handling topics such as multiplication, division, number lines, money, and 3-D geometry.

Millie's Math House, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

Millie's Math House is an award-winning multimedia program that teaches beginning math skills. Children learn about numbers, patterns, sizes, and shapes in six interactive activities with animated characters, colorful graphics, and lively music.

MindTwisters, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-4

MindTwisters focuses on math facts, rounding, measuring, telling time, counting money, and much more. In this action-packed game show format, students race against the clock and other players to give their answers. The teacher can set the program's challenge level to match individual student skill level.

Plato Algebra and Trigonometry Series Plato (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

The Plato Algebra and Trigonometry Series aids students in the mastery of algebra and trigonometry. The series teaches core concepts and uses real math real life situations to make learning more enjoyable and understandable.

PrimeTime Math, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-9

The PrimeTime Math series for students teaches math through dramatic stories about professional people. Students engage in real-world wilderness, medical emergency, search and rescue, fire, and crime stories. By using this program, students see the application of math in the real world.

Puzzle Logic, Ventura Educational Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-Adult

Puzzle Logic consists of 17 challenging puzzles that build thinking skills. The puzzles are very different, ranging from Magic Squares to the Tower of Stars. Students choose challenging puzzles and then find themselves in an interactive environment where they use a variety of math and logic skills to find a solution.

Sports Math: Fractions Made Easy, DK Software (Global Software Publishing) (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

Sports Math: Fractions Made Easy enables students to play games while practicing their math skills. Students can kick a soccer ball containing a fraction through a goal post or measure to see how well they did at the long jump.

Stickybear's Math Splash, Optimum Resource (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-5

Stickybear's Math Splash guides students ages 5 to 10 on a water-filled wacky adventure. The software contains four inventive drill and practice activities.

The Quarter Mile, Barnum Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-9

The Quarter Mile is an addictive drill and practice program. It covers whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, integers, equations, estimation, and math tricks. Students are in a competitive drag race with themselves. (Students can opt to race wild running horses instead of cars.) The program offers an excellent teacher management component and many additional features.

Trigonometry Explorer, Math Realm/Cognitive Technologies Corporation (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

This program is a comprehensive overview of trigonometry. The students manipulate angles and objects, hear explanations, and receive feedback.

Music Programs

Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Music Games International LLC -- Quaint Interactive, Inc. (Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Alice of Alice in Wonderland fame must escape from a magical musical clock. She is guided by the Cheshire Cat who has her playing 12 games and activities. The games range from music jigsaw puzzles to riddles.

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory 2.0, Alfred Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 8-Adult

This program is a complete music theory curriculum consisting of 55 lessons. The lessons range from note names to inverted chords and ear training.

Auralia 2.0, Rising Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

Auralia is a top-selling music instructional program, teaching topics such as intervals, scales, rhythm, pitch, and melody. It uses a drill-based approach, and students progress through various levels in 26 categories.

Finale 2004, Coda (Windows), Grade 6-Adult

Finale 2004 is the number-one software program for editing, creating, and printing sheet music. Educators, students, performers, and composers use this notation program. A user selects voices, instruments, key, and time signatures, and the score is automatically arranged.

Guitar Method 1, eMedia (Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Guitar Method 1 takes students step by step from basics to playing complete songs. The program has an enhanced audio soundtrack and an animated fretboard.

Music Ace and Music Ace 2, Harmonic Vision (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Music Ace and Music Ace 2 are programs that introduce students to music fundamentals. Music Ace has 24 comprehensive lessons, motivating games, and a Music Doodle pad that students use to become composers. Music Ace 2, the second title in the series, continues where Music Ace ended. It introduces new concepts such as standard notation, rhythm, melody, and harmony in an engaging format.

Music Appreciation, Clearvue (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Clearvue offers comprehensive music CD-ROMs on different musical periods, composers, and instruments. Students learn to understand music while studying musical elements. There are CDs such as Dynamics and Tone and Rhythm and Melody.

Musition 2, Rising Software (Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Musition 2 is a complete music theory program that covers topics ranging from note reading to transposition. This program uses a drill-based approach with which students progress through different levels of difficulty and receive immediate feedback.

Pianomouse Meets the Great Composers, Pianomouse.com (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

This program provides an excellent introduction to eight famous composers' lives and their musical work. Students choose a musician to study such as Beethoven, listen to his biography, and then play games to test their knowledge.

The Piano Discovery System, Jump! Music (Windows, Macintosh), Grades 1-Adult

Based on the classic Miracle Piano, this program turns your computer into a piano and teaching machine. Piano Discovery comes with a MIDI keyboard and has arcade-style games and tutorials.

Problem Solving and Logic

Barbie Horse Adventures: Mystery Ride, Vivendi Universal Publishing (Knowledge Adventure) (Windows), Grades K-6

Barbie, an experienced equestrian, must solve a mystery about a horse's disappearance. Along the way, she completes puzzles found in a train depot, at the riverside, or in the prairie town and then plays a matching game.

Brain Buster Quiz, Global Software Publishing/DK Interactive Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

This amusing program helps students develop critical thinking skills by teaching word recognition, spatial relationships, estimation, creative thinking, and logic. Brain Buster is fast and exciting, with questions on everything from math to science.

Building Perspective Deluxe, Sunburst (Windows, Macintosh), Grade 4-Adult

Building Perspective Deluxe has three challenging activities that help develop geometric and three-dimensional thinking skills. Students contrast and compare different pictures of a city block with different heights to predict configurations of views that are not visible.

Cornell Critical Thinking Tests, Critical Thinking Press (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-12+

Cornell Critical Thinking Tests covers induction, deduction, credibility, identification of assumptions, prediction, and much more. This program is a very popular critical thinking test. Users choose from a paper test or software version.

Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions, Sierra (Macintosh, Windows). Grades 5-9

Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions has 250 unusual, mind-melting puzzles. Students build trip-lever contraptions by correctly placing parts such as ropes, pulleys, bowling balls, and cheese-driven mouse motors. When these parts are combined correctly, the machine is able to complete its task.

I Spy School Days, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-4

Students work in nine unique play areas, tackling clever riddles and racing against the clock, trying to break codes. Students even have the option of making their own spy picture riddle.

Mindbenders Software, Critical Thinking Press (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12+

Mindbenders Software gives students a way to improved their reading comprehension, deductive reasoning and logic and organization skills. The CD-ROM not only contains 28 activities, but has on-screen hints with solutions, answer check without showing the solution, and printable student information.

Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand, Her Interactive (Windows), Grades 5-9

Our heroine Nancy Drew is working at Beech Hill Museum in Washington D.C., where there has been a series of thefts. This case has 3-D characters and codes and puzzles to solve. The students learn to interpret nonverbal clues, gather and synthesize information, use critical thinking skills, and much more.

Oz--The Magical Adventure, DK Multimedia (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-3

Students solve intriguing puzzles in the magical Land of Oz. They reorder switches to guide water to a tank, plant flowers, and discover how to move frogs across toadstools.

PhysiciaElementa Collection, Intellectum Plus (Windows), Grade 12-Adult

Intellectum Plus produces a series of interactive problem-solving programs that address elementary physics concepts such as force, motion, and friction. These programs are appropriate for grade 12 to adult. The software is based on advanced problem-solving methodologies, incorporating artificial intelligence features. You can also work with this program online.

Stickybear Math Word Problems, Optimum Resources (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-5.

Using addition, multiplication, and subtraction, students practice solving more than 350 math word problems. Teachers may customize by adding their own problems.

Thinkin' Science Zap! Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

Students explore sound, light, and electricity, working with laser beams, electrical circuits, and sound waves. There are hundreds of simple and complex activities calling on students to seek solutions.

Thinkin' Things Collection 1, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-3

The students engage in six fun activities that test thinking strategies. These activities emphasize memory development, visual and spatial thinking, musical memory, and problem solving. There is a single switch option that provides special needs access.

Thinkin' Things Galactic Brain Benders, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Thinkin' Things Galactic Brain Benders consists of five activities that build problem-solving, evaluation, and reasoning skills. Students test hypotheses, analyze information, and improve inductive and deductive reasoning.

Zoombinis Island Odyssey Enhanced Educator Version (EEV), Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

In the Zoombinis Island Odyssey program, students fix a broken chain of life and fill the isle with indigenous animals. This program builds logical thinking and builds science concepts. The students develop skill in collecting data, data analysis, graphing, mapping, and problem solving. They develop an understanding of topics that range from astronomy to biomes. They solve seven problems that have three levels of difficulty.

Programming

Crystal Rain Forest and Mission Control, Terrapin Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Terrapin Software produces these two programs that teach Logo programming for students from age 8 to 13. Crystal Rain Forest has the students help save a planet by navigating through different screens. The story is exciting, the activities fun, and the humor and animation engaging. Mission Control has students save the planet from a wacky scientist, using programming concepts through a series of sequenced adventures. The students are challenged through activities that include connecting wires to fix a soda machine, controlling motors to move heavy boxes, directing trucks filled with poison to recycling tanks, and using heat sensors to find an escape route.

MicroWorlds EX, Logo Computer Systems (LCSI) (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

MicroWorlds EX introduces students to problem solving and creative thinking. Students use this Logo-based toolkit to create projects for any subject in the curriculum. MicroWorlds EX helps students become active Web designers, not just passive Web viewers. This product was designed to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Roamer, Terrapin Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-1

Roamer is an easy-to-use robot that introduces students to Logo commands. Roamer contains a computer that is dedicated to Logo. Students can also connect Roamer to the computer and upload computer programs as well as merge them with other programs.

Stagecast Creator, Stagecast Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

Stagecast Creator is a tool that enables you to create interactive stories, games, and simulations. The student can create interactive animated worlds for science, reading, social studies, and more. With this authoring tool students create characters, the rules by which they will interact, and the worlds in which they will exist.

Terrapin Logo, Terrapin Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grade K-Adult

Terrapin Logo is a full-featured computer language that can be used by the beginner and the experienced programmer alike. This program is a version of the language developed at MIT. The examples used throughout the Logo chapter in this book were generated with Terrapin Logo.

True BASIC, True Basic Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 8-Adult

True BASIC is an easy-to-use and fully structured programming language. Students write less code to solve harder problems. This elegant program can be used to generate professional-looking graphs.

Puzzle Utilities

Crossword Companion Deluxe, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

With this easy-to-use crossword puzzle maker, you can write long clues, add graphics, mix numbers and letters, and much more. This program automatically creates clues, has 17,0000 words to use in the puzzles, creates picture clues, and incorporates custom crossword puzzles into your Website.

Crossword Creator, Centron (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Using Crossword Creator, students can create crossword puzzles for the Web. In a matter of minutes, students can make puzzles and choose colors, sounds, and font sizes. The program creates the HTML code automatically.

Phonics Companion, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

Using Phonics Companion, students and teachers can create phonics-based activity sheets, games, classroom posters, and much more. The easy-to-use program features crossword puzzles, bingo, story starters, and flash cards.

PuzzleMaker, Discovery Channel School (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

Using PuzzleMaker students create and customize puzzles for their grade level and curriculum. The program has word-search, mazes, crisscross puzzles, and more.

Puzzle Power 3.2, Centron (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

This software program gives you a collection of puzzle-making software that includes Crossword Creator, Wordsearch Creator, Cryptos, Anagrams, Cross Sums, and more. Students can use three types of multimedia themes, pictures, sounds, and movies.

Word Bingo, TeacherTools.com (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

With this program, you can create a set of bingo cards on the vocabulary words that the students are currently learning. This easy-to-use program comes with Spanish capabilities, some very useful clip art, and excellent documentation.

Word Cross, TeacherTools.com (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

This crossword puzzle maker is simple to use. It enables you to create your own crossword puzzles and automatically generates a variety of puzzles from the same word list. You can customize Word Cross to help students learn new vocabulary words.

Reference

Encarta Encyclopedia Reference Library 2004, Microsoft Corp. (Windows), Grade 5-Adult

This encyclopedia features over 68,000 articles, 25,000 photos and illustrations, and 300 videos. Encarta comes with a dictionary, thesaurus, world atlas, time lines, research tools, a chart maker, and more.

Encyclopedia of Our Living Oceans, DK Multimedia /Global Software Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-5

Student love this oceanography program with its beautiful photos, videos, and marine biologist interviews. Students find the program easy to use and have fun searching the program's database.

Eyewitness Children's Encyclopedia, DK Interactive/Global Software Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

Eyewitness Children's Encyclopedia relates the content to information that students learn in school, at home, and in everyday life. A variety of 3-D landscapes transport children to virtual worlds such as the rainforest, inside the earth, and deep space.

Eyewitness World Atlas, DK Interactive/Global Software Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

This atlas has detailed maps, videos, photographs, charts, and graphs. Students travel the world with help of expert research, accurate satellite imagery, and wonderful 3-D graphics.

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Deluxe, Grolier Interactive (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Deluxe contains thousands of articles, navigational aids, multimedia features, and a dictionary containing hundreds of thousands of words. There is an easy-to-use Online Knowledge Exporter, that gives students the latest information every month with hundreds of free article updates and special features such as time lines, research helpers, and activities that explore subject areas.

My First Amazing Dictionary, DK Multimedia/ Global Software Publishing (Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

My First Amazing Dictionary is an excellent reference tool for beginning readers. This program has four games that improve word recognition. The dictionary explains the meanings of 1,200 child-oriented words with clever animations, illustrations, and narrations.

The World Almanac and Book of Facts CD-ROM Edition, TOPICS Entertainment (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Students use this reference to search for answers to specific questions. The information is divided into sections, which include Economy and Business, Noted Personalities, United State Cities and States, and United States Population. Using key words, the user can quickly search this information.

World Book Deluxe, Topics Entertainment (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Students use this encyclopedia to research different topics. The encyclopedia is geared so that most elementary students can comprehend it. The program features over 25,000 articles, thousands of images and Web links, and over 248,000 definitions. There are audio clips, plus time lines, panoramas, and homework wizards.

Ultimate Birder, Topics Entertainment (Windows), Grade 3-Adult

This program is the ultimate guide for bird watchers offering detailed information on over 1,000 birds. The information is easily accessible, and the pictures are beautiful. The content's focus is North American birds; it includes detailed information on items such as feed, nesting, and status.

20th Century Day by Day--Millennium, DK Multimedia/Global Software Publishing (Windows), Grade 6-Adult

20th Century Day by Day--Millennium chronicles the history of an entire century. The topics range from the Wright Brothers' first flight to the Apollo 11 moon landing. There are thousands of photographs, biographies, sound clips, and videos.

Science Programs

A.D.A.M. Essentials High School Suite, A.D.A.M. Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

A.D.A.M. Essentials High School Suite is a multimedia exploration of human anatomy, physiology, and biology. This suite includes the award-winning A.D.A.M. The Inside Story, Nine Month Miracle, Life's Greatest Mysteries, and Interactive Physiology--Cardiovascular Module. The program merges an extensive database of information with stunning imagery, sparkling animation, and brilliant sound.

Atlas of the Solar System, DK Multimedia/Global Software Publishing (Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Students take a journey to planets that are millions of miles away. The program uses computer-generated animations and research data.

BioTutor, ChemTutor, and Physics Tutor, Interactive Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

BioTutor, ChemTutor, and Physics Tutor help students learn biology, chemistry, and physics. These programs cover the full curriculum for a first or second course in these subjects. While working on these tutorials, students are given immediate feedback at each step.

Car Builder 7.0 Deluxe, Optimum Resources (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

Car Builder Deluxe is a science simulation for education that enables students to construct, modify, and test cars. In the process of constructing a car, students design the inside and select the chassis length, the fuel tank, and the tires. When the mechanical selection is complete, students modify the body with data generated through a testing procedure that includes a wind tunnel and a test track. Truck builder is another program in the series.

ChemRacer 2713: The Legend of Kid Chem, Ohio Distinctive Software Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

ChemRacer teaches students the elements of the periodic table and associated facts in an amusing way. The game alternates between an arcade racing challenge and an identify-the-elements game. Points are awarded for correct answers; games and high scores can be saved.

ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 6

The sixth-grade version of the motivating ClueFinders series gives students 24 hours to stop plants from destroying their town. Students engage in nine activities to solve the mystery. These activities teach sixth-grade science, math, geography, history, reading, and problem solving. The program tracks students' progress and prints customized workbooks.

CyberEd Chemistry, Plato Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 9-Adult

Through hands-on learning activities students come to understand chemistry concepts. The chemistry titles include an interactive periodic table; students can scroll over the element to find information such as atomic weight. Students can view a presentation by clicking on a topic. This award-winning program comes with a pretest and a posttest that randomly generate multiple-choice test questions.

Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Science, DK Multimedia/Global Software Publishers (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Students explore chemistry, math, physics, life sciences, and a who's who of science. This program contains 1,700 entries, 20 videos, and 66 animations.

Farmer Greenfield's Virtual Harvest, Ohio Distinctive Software, Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

This software package is reminiscent of the classic Botanical Gardens created by Sunburst. Using this simulation program, students plant, grow, and harvest their own gardens. In the process, they check for bugs and blight, and they control water. If they do what is correct, they are rewarded with points. There are 10 difficulty levels and a narrated glossary.

A Field Trip to the Sea Deluxe, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

A Field Trip to the Sea Deluxe explores sea life, geography, and related issues. Students click on illustrations of plant and animal life to see enlarged pictures with text. The program features research tools, a notebook, a field guide, and a camera.

Genetics, Discovery School (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-8

Using this interactive CD-ROM students can build a model of meiosis. Genetics also teaches about cloning and helps students analyze data related to genetic diseases and even solve a crime using forensics.

High School Advantage 2004, Encore Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 9-12

High School Advantage covers 10 core subjects. Based on the Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Science, the science component covers chemistry, life sciences, and physics. The tutorials are multimedia and interactive and help the students easily learn the subject matter.

Learn About Series, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-2

Sunburst Communications has a rich and vast assortment of science programs, including Learn About Life Sciences, Plants, Learn About Life Science: The Senses, Learn About Earth Science: Weather, Learn About Earth Science: Astronomy, Learn About Physical Science: Simple Machines, and Learn About Physical Science: Matter, Measurement, and Mixtures. These programs have extension activities that include matching and sorting games and an expressive writing section.

Physical Science, and Middle School Science, Discovery Channel School (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

Students can use these interactive CD-ROMs to find out about electricity, elements, forces and gravity, states of matter, and light. Each program includes a Theater, World Book Encyclopedia Library, Discover Center, Studio, and electronic teacher's guide.

Pookie and Tushka Find a Little Piano, Pers Corporation (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-5

Pookie and Tushka Find a Little Piano comes with a picture book and CD-ROM. The CD-ROM has games, animated songs, and facts about life at the North and South Poles.

Pro Dissector Frog, The Schneider & Morse Group (Windows), Grade 7-Adult

Students use this virtual frog dissection program by stripping away one layer at a time. Each structure is highlighted and defined. QuickTime videos teach lessons on the body, and the program also comes with quizzes.

Sammy's Science House, Edmark (Macintosh, DOS/Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

Sammy's Science House has five fun-filled activities that help children with sorting, sequencing, observing, predicting, and constructing. Students learn simple scientific classification and develop logical thinking skills painlessly by building toys and machines, classifying plants, and sequencing movies.

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Volcano Adventure Activity Center, Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-5

Students explore volcanoes by perform

ing experiments, watching animated volcanic eruptions, and playing games. Students can change gas and magma, creating different levels of volcanic eruption. Another program in the same format explores the human body.

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Whales & Dolphins Activity Center Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-5

The Magic School Bus Whales & Dolphins offers a great introduction to whales and dolphins. Students play games to earn points. All the activities are very strong in content; in one, students weigh and measure whales and dolphins, using familiar units of measure such as school buses.

Science Court Series, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-6

The Science Court series teaches science concepts to elementary and middle school students. Some of the programs in the series are sound, statistics, gravity, particles in motion, machines, water cycle, fossils, and inertia. The program unfolds as a courtroom drama, and there are demonstrations and explanations as the lawyers battle over a case. Programs contain animated video clips with hands-on activities.

Science Seekers--Hidden in Rocks, Tom Snyder Productions /Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-8

Science Seekers can collectively improve critical thinking skills as students take notes, manipulate variables, analyze the results, draw conclusions, and offer solutions to problems.

Sidewalk Science Series Bugs, Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-4

Students explore everyday science using animated movies and a variety of exciting activities. Other programs in the series are Dirt and Wheels.

Theory of Plate Tectonics, Tasa Graphics Arts, Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 7-Adult

The program explores the Earth's lithospheric plates. Students find it easy to use this program, which features interesting animations and graphics. The program correlates with the National Science Education Standards.

Thinkin' Science Zap! Edmark/Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

The students explore sound, light, and electricity, working with laser beams, electrical circuits, and sound waves. There are hundreds of simple and complex activities in which the student is called upon to seek solutions.

Virtual Labs: Light and Virtual Labs: Electricity, Edmark/Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-12

There are two programs in this series. Virtual Labs: Light enables students to safely run virtual laser experiments that would be dangerous and impractical to run in the real world. In the same vein, Virtual Labs: Electricity is a simulation program with which students conduct experiments in a lab or create their own electricity experiments without the hazards of playing with electricity.

Zoo Tycoon Complete, Microsoft Corporation (Windows), Grades 4-12

Students design, build, and take care of their own zoo in this terrific simulation. They keep track of animal food, housing, hiring people, and park admission fees.

Social Studies Programs

Crosscountry Canada, Ingenuity Works (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Students play the role of truck drivers on a mission to pick up and deliver certain commodities. Students practice map reading, logical thinking, and record keeping as they deliver the products all over Canada. Other programs in the series are Crosscountry California, Crosscountry USA 2, and Crosscountry Texas.

Decisions, Decisions 5.0 Series, Tom Snyder Productions/Scholastic (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-12

The Decisions, Decisions 5.0 Series help students gain a better understanding of different people, places, and ideas. Students learn to use history as a basis for decision making and to distinguish between fact and opinion. Some of the titles in the series are The Cold War, Immigration, On the Campaign Trail, Prejudice, Violence in the Media, Building a Nation, and The Environment.

Faces and Places, Microgram (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Students test their knowledge by playing Faces and Places. There are over 20 different categories including states, capitals, geography, famous women, and presidents.

GeoSafari Geography Platinum, Educational Insights (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

GeoSafari Geography contains multiple-choice quizzes that help with all sorts of geography subject matter such as memorizing the state capitals or learning where states are. Educational Insights Interactive also produces GeoSafari History, with which students learn about world and U.S. history.

Great Battles of the Civil War Animated, TravelBrains (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 5-12

Students examine three key Civil War battles: Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and Second Manassas. You can use the program's battle maps to move through each battle an hour at a time.

History of the American Legal System, ABC-Clio (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-12

This encyclopedia presents articles and images concerning issues regarding the U.S. legal system. The material covered ranges from the 17th century to the Clinton presidency. There are photographs, videos, audio clips, and even primary source documents.

Land of the Inuit--An Exploration of the Arctic, Ingenuity Works (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 4-Adult

Using this wonderful program, students learn about the Arctic. An Inuit shaman acts as guide while students read, watch, and listen to tales of early Arctic explorations. Students then test their knowledge of the content with 12 interactive challenges.

MaskWorld, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

Using this delightful program, students can print outline masks, experiment, and create scenes, stories, and myths on their own. There are 24 myths from around the world. Each story comes complete with characters, props, and a script.

Microsoft Encarta Africana, (Encarta Reference Library Educator's Edition), Microsoft (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

This encyclopedia discusses African history and culture using text, pictures, audio clips, and videos. Microsoft Encarta Africana offers closed captioning and text to speech, so text can be read electronically.

My First Amazing World Explorer, Global Software Publishing/DK (Macintosh, Windows) Grades K-4

Students travel around the world playing fun games and visiting different countries. They learn about other cultures, travel to famous cities, and find out about different historic landmarks.

Neighborhood Map Machine, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 1-6

Students can create maps with buildings, lakes, trees, roads, and other elements. They learn geography skills that include compass directions, distance, scale, and grid coordinates. These maps can be printed out in a variety of sizes.

The Oregon Trail V, Riverdeep (Macintosh, DOS), Grades 5-12

The Oregon Trail V transports students to the 1850s, where as pioneers they must outfit their wagons for the journey west from Independence, Missouri. If students make the right decisions, they reach their destination. During the journey, students learn about the time period.

SimCity 4000 and Sims, Maxis (Electronic Arts) (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Sims and SimCity 4000 are popular design programs using principles of CAD. Sims is for younger students, and SimCity 4000 is for older students. Both programs are building games in which students create cities or neighborhoods. In SimCity 4000, students measure their ability to determine by how much their population will grow and how healthy their tax base is. In Sims, students designs homes, furnish them, and then build neighborhoods and take control of them.

Talking Walls, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

This unique program enables students to explore the stories behind the world's most spectacular walls and see their influence on history.

TimeLiner 5.0, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

TimeLiner 5.0 enables teachers and students to quickly design and print out time lines of any length in Spanish or English. This award-winning program has an excellent graphics library with more than 400 historical photographs and clip art. Tom Snyder has included in this package 150 ready-made time lines in history, social studies, and science.

Where in the USA Is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Version, The Learning Company (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-12

Students search for criminals across the United States, using geography facts. The program features enhanced graphics and cases to solve. The Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition has students search for criminals across the globe. Using these programs, students learn geography in an entertaining manner.

Special Education

Access to Math, Don Johnston (Macintosh), Grades K-7

Access to Math is a talking math worksheet that aids students in learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This program gives students feedback on which answers are correct, which need more work, and what part of the work is incorrect.

Blue's ABC Time Activities, Humongous Entertainment (Macintosh, Windows),

Grades P-K-6, 7-9, 10-12

Students explore the world of letters, sounds, and words with the help of a dog named Blue and her pals. This software is designed for many age levels, and it automatically adjusts to the student's reading level.

BuildAbility, Don Johnston (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 3-Adult

BuildAbility is similar to PowerPoint, but it is much easier to use. Using this multimedia authoring program, students can build multimedia pages and storybooks for the class.

Clicker 4 (see Desktop Publishing and Writing) Creature Chorus Sterling Edition, Laureate Learning Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-6

Students can play nine games that teach cause and effect, visual tracking, auditory awareness, and more. Games range from the simple to the complex. This program utilizes single-switch, a mouse, or a touch-sensitive screen. The program is recommended for individuals with severe/profound disabilities.

Co:Writer 4000, Don Johnston (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 6-Adult

Co:Writer 4000 is a writing assistant with word prediction capabilities that will work with any word processor. A student types in a letter and Co:Writer will suggest word choices that fit the previous sentences. Using this program, students learn to make word choices. Co:Writer offers built-in grammar prediction, which helps with such items as capitalization, spelling, and verb tense.

Edmark Reading Program, Riverdeep (Macintosh,Windows),Grade Pre-K-Adult

Edmark Reading Program Series enable students to hear whole passages or individual words read aloud. The program features comprehension checks, voice, and corrective feedback to help the student. Words and sound are accompanied by colorful pictures.

Kidspiration, Inspiration (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-4

Kidspiration encourages students to organize their ideas. This fun program makes it easy for them to represent their ideas using user-friendly symbols. Students can hear their work read aloud and record their own words. In the classroom, teachers can use the program's 45 built-in student activities.

My First Amazing World Explorer, Global Software Publishing/DK Multimedia (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-5

Students travel the world trying to find a person named Joe. In this interactive journey, they use scrolling map scenes, pop-up screens, videos, and games. DK Multimedia has a series of social studies and science programs.

Number Concepts 1 with Oshi the Otter, IntelliTools, Inc. (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-2

Number Concepts 1 with Oshi the Otter is a program designed for students with disabilities that tutors them on basic addition and subtraction.

Simon Sounds It Out, Don Johnston (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-2

This program is a phonics tool that helps students practice letter sounds. It comes with a helpful online tutor that leads students through 31 sequenced sounds and words.

Start-to-Finish Books, Don Johnston (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

These books motivate students who are struggling with reading. The books range from Red Badge of Courage to a narrative of the play Romeo and Juliet. They aid students with language disorders or dyslexia, students learning English as a second language, and those with spelling and writing difficulties. The program comes with a computer book, audiocassette, and paperback book.

Tiger's Tale, Laureate Learning Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-7

Tiger's Tale is software for students with fluency, articulation, and/or language disorders. This program takes students on adventures with an animated tiger who has lost his voice. Using a microphone, the students talk for the tiger with the help of various animated characters who ask questions. At the end, children can play back the movie they have created, hearing their own voice accompanying the animated tale.

Travel the World with Timmy! Deluxe, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades Pre-K-1

Riverdeep's Travel the World with Timmy! Deluxe teaches students about people, places, and cultures. They learn stories, songs, crafts, and games and practice foreign language skills. Riverdeep's Travel the World with Timmy! Deluxe features a special talking picture dictionary, and the program has single-switch compatibility.

Virtual Labs: Light and Virtual Labs: Electricity, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 6-12

The Virtual Lab series helps students build practical knowledge about light and electricity (see Science Programs). These programs offer a built-in tutor and single-switch technology.

Visual Voice Tools, Riverdeep (Windows), Grade Pre-K-Adult

Visual Voice Tools is an assortment of tools that help students develop fine control over their voices. The program begins with simple sound awareness and progresses through multiple aspects of voice. The suggested users are students with a variety of speech disorders, hearing disorders, and physical problems that limit voice output.

Words Around Me, Edmark/Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

This program is useful for ESL and special education students. Using Words Around Me, students learn more than 275 common vocabulary words and 186 plurals. This step-by-step approach helps users engage in five activities for practice.

Wordbar, Crick Software (Windows), Grade K-Adult

Wordbar is a utility that sits along the bottom of the screen. Students click on words or phrases on the toolbar that send them to their word processor. This program offers text-to-speech technology that enables the user to hear the text. This program is perfect for the student who is struggling with writing.

Write: OutLoud, Don Johnston (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-8

Write: OutLoud is an easy-to-use word processor that talks. Students can listen to their work as they type it. The spelling checker enables students to hear and see suggested replacement words. The program features a handy on-screen ribbon from which students quickly access the program's options.

Typing Programs

All the Right Type, Ingenuity Works (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

All the Right Type is a simple-to-use typing program that links word processing to keyboarding. It includes a record-keeping feature, and the lessons are customized for the student's use in a classroom setting. The program is very exciting with its futuristic graphics and a spaceship pacer game.

JumpStart Typing, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 2-5

Using this program, the student builds typing proficiency in five different sporting events, ranging from skateboarding to rock climbing. JumpStart even has a diagnostic test to determine the student's typing ability, and the program adjusts the product to match the abilities of the user.

Kids Keys, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Pre-K-2

Using this cute program, students learn the alphabet and how to use the computer keyboard and mouse.

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Riverdeep (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing uses animated graphics, facts from the New Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia and Newsweek magazine, riddles, rhymes, and jokes to teach typing. Lessons range from 10 to 120 minutes. This new edition features a 3-D classroom, Internet access, audio spoken feedback, and six arcade games. The children's version is called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing! for Kids.

Stickybear Typing, Optimum Resources (Macintosh, DOS/Windows), Grades 1-6

Three activities, including an arcade game, sharpen students' typing and keyboarding skills. The program can help the more advanced typists who need to review and brush up. Pupils choose the level of difficulty and track their progress as they improve.

Type to Learn, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 2-Adult

This popular typing program teaches students to type, and it reinforces spelling, composition, grammar, and punctuation skills. There are 22 lessons that cover all letter and number keys, four games and a speed-building exercise. In addition, Sunburst comes with record keeping, numerous teacher options, and a congratulatory certificate when the course is completed.

Typing Tutor, Knowledge Adventure (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 5-Adult

The new edition of Typing Tutor is loaded with video clips, games, animation, color, and graphics. The samples are from 100 well-known books.

UltraKey, Bytes of Learning (Macintosh, Windows), Grade 1-Adult

UltraKey has many features including realistic 3-D graphics, voice-supported instruction, live classroom video demonstrations, teacher classroom management capabilities, and Internet support.

CHAPTER 14

Teacher Utilities

Calendar Machine Plus, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Calendar Machine Plus is a classroom utility designed for students and teachers. This program not only prints calendars, but also includes lesson plans, a searchable 900-event and holiday database, and much more.

Crossword Companion Deluxe, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Crossword Companion Deluxe creates crossword puzzles in a jiffy. Teachers can customize these puzzles by choosing from three graphic sizes. This easy-to-use program has word processing features and an array of print options.

Easy Grade Pro, Orbis Software (Macintosh), All Grades

Easy Grade Pro comes with a wide range of tools including grading, attendance, seating, analysis, and reporting. Unlike other grading programs, Easy Grade Pro integrates all classes into a single file and at the same time enables teachers to manage each class individually. The program has many options that range from including multiple subjects in reports to adding and rotating furniture.

Gradebook Plus, Clearvue/eav (Macintosh), All Grades

Gradebook Plus is an intuitive program that any novice can use. The program helps you with oral reminders such as "Don't forget to back up." With this program, you can add any of 15 user-definable comments to reports and annotate student reports with sound. On-screen editing and a mini-word processor enable you to create reports and letters.

Grade Busters: Making the Grade, Jay Klein Productions (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Grade Busters: Making the Grade records 80 students, 320 assignments, 25 assignment categories, and five grading scales per class and displays the results graphically. Furthermore, it allows you to generate reports in English and Spanish.

Grade Machine, Misty City (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Grade Machine is loaded with features such as e-mail capability for student progress reports, student pictures in seating charts, on-screen color for grades, unlimited length for student notes, and much more. This program has a comprehensive Help system that enables the teacher to get answer to frequently asked questions.

GradeQuick, Jackson Software (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

GradeQuick is a gradebook gem that is as simple to use as a paper grade book. There are no confusing windows to set up or long, involved procedures. You simply start this program, and it immediately calculates grades and statistics. GradeQuick easily displays or prints student pictures on seating charts, enters attendance with a click, and posts reports on the Web.

Inspiration, Inspiration Software (Macintosh, Windows), Grade K-Adult

This program is a visual learning tool that helps students develop ideas and organize their thinking. Students or teachers can create concept maps, story webs, semantic maps, storyboards, bubble diagrams, and outlines.

IEP Writer Supreme II, Super School Software (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

IEP Writer Supreme II has all the IEP forms you need to complete any report. The program follows state standards and features planning tools, resources for classroom teachers, as well as an objective editor to customize your own library.

Interactive Report Writer, FTC Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

Interactive Report Writer is a writing tool that teachers or students can use to help create reports or presentations. This program comes with 50 report templates in six subject areas. Each report has a short introduction followed by interactive writing templates.

Kidspiration (See Special Education)

Learner Profile, Houghton Mifflin (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Learner Profile records and organizes data for student assessment portfolios. You can instantly record your observations of pupil learning; the observational information can be uploaded to the computer, where it becomes part of the database. This program is very fast and easy to use, and it eliminates burdensome paperwork.

Make-a-Flash, Teacher Support Software (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

This utility makes flash cards for vocabulary words, math, or any subject area. There are multiple templates available, and you can also create your own.

Math Companion Volume 1 and Volume 2, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-8

Math Companion 1 is a wonderful utility that enables teachers to create math activity sheets in four different formats with graphic capabilities. For example, you can create color-in activity sheets and math anagrams. You choose from 110 NCTM math objectives. Math Companion 2 covers money, time, counting, place value, sets, fractions, and elementary geometry. You can create flashcards, bingo cards, illustrated money problems, math color-ins, and more.

Neighborhood Map Maker (see Social Studies)

Omni Page Pro, ScanSoft (Macintosh, Office), All Grades

Using Omni Page Pro, you can click a button to scan virtually any document. It is fast and easy to use; it takes mere seconds to turn a piece of paper into an electronic text. An Auto OCR toolbar handles conversion and document reading.

The Portfolio Builder for PowerPoint, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-8

This program helps students create maps and print them in all sizes.

The Portfolio Builder for PowerPoint enables students to easily combine sound, videos, text, and graphics to create a representation of their work. In a matter of minutes, a student can import work created with other software applications, graphics, text, scanned images, full-motion video, and sound clips into this portfolio builder.

PowerPak for PowerPoint: An Innovative Collection of Lesson and Game Templates, FTC Publishing (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

PowerPak for PowerPoint enables the teacher to design lesson plan presentations and supplemental games for the whole class. All the work has been done for the teacher; all that remains to do is to type in the questions and answers. PowerPak covers all curriculum areas and includes 24 interactive game templates and dynamic lesson plans for a few students or an entire classroom.

Stationery Studio, FableVision (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-5

Teachers or students use this fun graphic tool to print writing paper, templates for stories or reports, mini-books, shape books and much more. Teachers can use the program's simple text tool to create story starters and for other classroom activities. Stationery Studio is capable of creating thousands of unique pieces of stationery.

SPSS/PC, SPSS (Windows), Junior high and above

SPSS/PC is a popular statistical package for IBM and compatibles. It is menu driven and has interactive data analysis and an online glossary of statistical terms.

Teacher's Resource Companion Deluxe, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

Teacher's Resource Companion Deluxe has an easy-to-use interface that many developers are following. This delightful program enables you to create activity sheets, tests, and complete curricular packages. The formats include short essay/free write; multiple choice; true/false; matching; two-, four-, and eight-picture fill-ins, and a word search.

Teacher Tool Kit, TeacherTools.com (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Teacher Tool Kit is simple to use and offers excellent online help. It creates word searches, word scrambles, word matches, and multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer tests. The program enables you to randomize questions and print out clean page layouts with answers.

Test Designer Supreme II, Super School (Macintosh, Windows), All Ages

Test Designer Supreme II combines test creation, test taking, sound, graphics, and foreign languages. This program enables you to insert questions from a database and use an overhead projector to give students a timed test on the computer. In addition, you can choose the test format you want and integrate graphics into it.

Timeliner 5.0, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-12

See Social Studies Programs for a write-up of this award-winning package.

TimeLiner Machine Plus, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-8

Using this program, you can create your own custom time lines for lesson plans, research projects, and events. There are ready-made time line activities and 350 lesson plans with a searchable database of more than 900 historical events.

Vocabulary Companion, Visions Technology in Education (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-12

With this nifty utility, you can create instructional material covering phonics, word analysis, and vocabulary development. The program has 200 language arts objectives and a database of over 12,000 words. You can print out scrambled words, concentration, game cards, anagrams, color-ins, flash cards, and much more.

Worksheet Magic, Gamco (Macintosh, Windows), All Grades

Teachers create tests, puzzles, and worksheets in a matter of seconds with this program. You enter a sentence and highlight a word, and the program generates the worksheet.

Graphics Programs

Graph Club, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-4

This graphics tool can be used for self-directed exploration, presentations, lessons, or class projects. Students learn to sort, classify information, construct graphs, and analyze data.

Graph Master, Tom Snyder Productions (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-8

With Graph Master, students learn how to interpret data using nine different graph types. Students also learn how to use graphs and tables and find, use, and interpret measures of center and spread and much more.

Graphers, Sunburst (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-4

Students construct and interpret six different graph types with over 20 pictorial data sets and 16 lesson plans.

Graphing & Managing Data, Gamco (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 3-6

Students collect and organize data and read and interpret data that are displayed in tables, charts, and graphs. In addition, they can conduct surveys, record and evaluate data, and draw conclusions.

GraphPower, Ventura Educational Systems (Macintosh), Grades K-8, Special Education

GraphPower develops students' ability to analyze and interpret data by teaching students how to create an array of graphics including pictographs, bar graphs, and circle graphs. An online tutorial helps users overcome graphing problems.

Graphing Workshop, Cognitive Technologies (Macintosh, Windows), Grades 4-12

Students quickly produce pictographs, line graphs, circle graphs, and bar graphs. The program comes with tutorials, integrated draw tools, and built-in statistics. It is easy to use and has a comprehensive teacher's guide with line masters.

Probability Toolkit, Ventura Educational Systems (Macintosh, Windows), Grades K-8

Probability Toolkit is an engaging program that helps students develop a basic understanding of probability and statistics. This educational tool has a variety of interesting simulated experiments involving marbles in a jar, colored spinners, colored chips, dice, and cards. The results of each experiment can be graphed in many different formats such as bar graphs, circle graphs, or line graphs. Furthermore, a detailed instructor's guide and activity sheets accompany the program.








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