Software

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	Classroom Layout	Classroom Networking and Operating Ideas	Equipment	Software
	Planning a Project	Managing a Project	Evaluating a Project	Project Examples
	Desktop Publishing	Multimedia for Elementary Classrooms (Kid Pix)	Multimedia Presentations (HyperStudio)	Video Projects

Software Recommendations

The watchword is keep it simple. If you load a few powerful programs you will get more from your students.

Computers are like CD players, they play the what ever is on the CD that you put into the player. It is important that you choose the software that will benefit your students the most. Research indicates that we see the greatest gains in literacy when we have a teacher that uses thematic, collaborative lessons coupled with programs that allow students to create presentations about what they have learned. A piece of software that opens to a blank page offers the greatest potential for learning.

It is very important that we have purchased all the programs that are loaded on the computers in our classrooms. It is the right, moral and legal thing to do.

Software Basics:

A word processing program that integrates graphics, database and spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Office or AppleWorks®)
A multimedia presentation program,(e.g. Kid Pix (primary grades) HyperStudio,or PowerPoint)
An Internet browser

LAUSD approved software programs:

Microsoft Office, $40 per machine, about $15 for the media CD (one for your school)
- Word, a powerful word processing program
- PowerPoint, an easy to use multimedia presentation program
- Excel, a powerful spreadsheet program
Roger Wagner's HyperStudio, $32 per machine
- A powerful non-liner multimedia presentation program
Internet browser, free download
- The two most popular are Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer

Most of these programs allow you to manipulate the graphics you are using for the project being prepared. The scanner usually has graphic manipulation software.

If you have these programs loaded on each computer you will have a very powerful suite of tools for for your students.

Some teachers in primary grades prefer to use what they feel to be more appropriate software for their younger students. Here are their recommendations:

Kid Pix, $15
- A multimedia authoring program for primary age students. It allows a student to type or write words, illustrate their ideas, record their voices and make a multimedia presentation of their project.

Website authoring software: the ultimate exposure for students work for this generatgion is work that is published on the internet. Many packages are available to assist in this process.

Supplemental Programs

Teacher productivity software

Teacher Timesaver: a database program that will produce rebrics, project task lists, name tags and many more usable items more efficently for the classroom teacher.
Electronic Rollbook, the district offers a free program that is compatable with your schools student information system (SIS) and approved in format to meet state audtors requirements.
Other rollbook programs: Some are integrated with your schools SIS system and some schools acept their printed format as compliant rollbooks, check with your adminsstrators.

Student productivity software: here are some programs that teachers find greatly enhance their classrooms.

Inspiration [thought processing and idea organizing program, used for brainstorming and project development]
Sound Companion Junior (primary grades) A sound processing program, allows students to edit and enhance the audio portion of their projects
Sound Companion: A sound processing program, allows students to edit and enhance the audio portion of their projects

Audrey Criss or Warren Dale