Here is an updated list of software that I recommend for teachers on their personal computers.
List is sorted in order of frequency of use.
Web Browser
If you have a Mac, the default browser is Apple’s Safari, on Windows it is Internet Explorer. However, there are a number of reasons you should consider installing a second (or even third browser).
- Firefox remains the most customizable feature rich browser. It is opensource so it is made by people who share their expertise to make one of the best browsers available. Check out all the free addons that expand what firefox can do. My most used, must have addon is Video Downloader which can be used to download offline copies of YouTube videos for use in the classroom that isn’t dependent on an internet connection.
- Google Chrome is amazing and fast with all the google sites such as gmail, google docs, reader… etc
- Not to be left behind, Internet Explorer is moving to version 9.
Office software such as word-processing.
- Microsoft Office is the solid ‘education industry’ standard. If you work in a BC district that has subscribed to the licensing agreements it is a mere $11 to take the software home. Get the license code from your district educational technology team and see more information here: Microsoft Home Use Program
- OpenOffice is a ‘free and open productivity suite’ which looks and has many of the same features of Microsoft Office. See: http://www.openoffice.org/
- Google Docs – although this isn’t something you have to install as it is FREE and online, it is amazing for educators wanting to collaborate as it has live online editing.
- Windows Live Writer – is the blogging program that works with most types of blogs. It makes it really easy to embed photos to posts! See previous post.
Antivirus
- AVG Free is all I’ve ever needed. Install, allow the automatic updates and let it work. I recently got to see it in action as it picked up a Trojan Horse on my computer and cleaned it off. Most people start looking for an antivirus once their free trial of McAfee or Norton runs out on the computer they purchased. http://free.avg.com
Video Player
- VLC video player is the one program that will play almost any type of video file. This includes the ‘.flv’ video files that are created when downloading YouTube videos using Video Downloader for FireFox (see above).
PDF Creator
Have you ever wondered what file format to save your class newsletter in so that all your parents can open? Well PDF if the most universal file type that can be opened on all computers and retains the formatting.
- Cute PDF writer once installed is like having another printer. Once your document is ready, click print, select CutePDF and save the file.
Video/Sound recording and Curricular
- JING will capture whatever you have on your screen and the audio from a microphone. It is a great way to explain how to use a website to students. The link to the recording can then be shared.
- Audacity will allow you to record sound and create a podcast. Check out the version 1.3 beta.
- Google Earth is an amazing way to view, measure and manipulate our physical world.
- Microsoft Photostory is a long-time favourite to put voice-overs on pictures. It works in Windows 7 so it is here to stay.
Software to skip…
On my last posting on free software I had MSN and Skype. I no longer use these now that that you can make free phone calls to North America right from within GMAIL. Rumour has it that even Facebook is getting into the free phone. See more on the article by the Globe and Mail.
Others??
I would love to know what others would suggest for titles to have in the educators' toolkit. Post a comment here..
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8 comments:
I've used Firefox and Chrome but switch back to Safari because Safari now has extensions (much like Firefox). Using Safari allows for the smooth interactions in iLife. Something FREE I would suggest is Classmarker.com. This is a terrific summative asssessment site!!
James,
We have a number of our teachers that love Jing. They use it to create short screencasts that can be posted to their virtual classrooms. They also then use it with students in their classes.
Thanks Chris, JING is definately a great piece of FREE software that enables teachers to share howto information on the web.
For the Mac users out there, nothing beats Simon Elliot's site for checking out FREE software..
http://web.mac.com/simon_elliott/simon_elliott%40mac.com/thebigfreelist.html
I have spent many hours rifling through this collection, downloading and trying out software that catches my eye...some of it has narrow appeal, but much of it is, as George Castanza says, "pure gold" :-)
Voicethread is a great way to have online discussions around images, text and video. Students can respond to what ever the teacher posts, connected to any curriculum. Check it out at http://voicethread.com/
Let's try that url again, as the comment box appears to have truncated it...I have put a return in, so you will need to concatenate :-)
http://web.mac.com/simon_elliott/
simon_elliott%40mac.com/thebigfreelist.html
One piece of software that I use DAILY in my instruction is Zoom-It from Microsoft.
"ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. "
I find using the social bookmarking site delicious is very valuable to me as a teacher. Increasingly, teachers are finding their teaching resources on the internet. Delicious allows you to organize these resources, by creating your own virtual filing cabinet. The really powerful part of delicious is being able to network with other people who have similar interests. Delicious is a bit of a one trick pony, but what it does, it does very well.
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