On the Web: Software Basics

The twenty-first century has been characterized by a decrease in software vendors largely due to increased access to the Internet and web-based software. On the Web: Software Basics offers access to assistive software companies, educational software resellers, educational software publishers, grade programs, task generators, IEP generators and quiz generators. Sections are listed alphabetically. If you know of a site that is missing from this collection but is would provide helpful information to teachers, please contact us.

Assistive Software || Educational Software Resellers || Educational Software Publishers || Grade Programs || Organizations for Diverse Learners || Task Generators || IEP Generators || Quiz Generators

Assistive Software Companies

Don Johnson
Don Johnston Incorporated provides a full array of software products for literacy instruction. Write:Outloud, Co:Writer, and Draft:Builder are among the more popular school based products found at this searchable site. Information about products, downloads, newsletters and support is available.

Enablemart
Enablemart offers a variety of software products and devices for individuals with disabilities. One such product, reviewed in this software chapter, is the iCommunicator, a voice activated word processor that converts voice to text to sign for individuals who are deaf.

Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group
Freedom Scientific, Inc. provides products for blind and low vision group. At this searchable site, information about products and services is shared plus downloads, support and distributors.

Intellitools
Intellitools provides an array of products that are can be used by students with disabilities and in general education classrooms. The Classroom Suite 4 combines tools for building reading, writing and math skills.

Kurzweil Educational Systems
Kurzweil 3000 is a reading, study skill and writing program software program that is used with struggling students, ELL students and students with special needs. Information regarding Kurzweil 1000, used by people who are blind, is also available at this site. Locate information regarding products and services, customer support, resources and downloads. The ability to order online is available as well as locating a reseller.

Mayer Johnson
Mayer Johnson offers Boardmaker, a symbol-based software program used to develop communication boards and other systems for students with special needs. Links are provided to other software products, communication devices, educational books and training aids.

Nuance
Nuance, formally Scansoft, Inc. offers information regarding Dragon Naturally Speaking and Via Voice, as well as other products and services, customer support, resources at this searchable site. The ability to link to the online store is available.

Texthelp Systems Ltd.
Texthelp Systems Inc. has developed software products used for accessibility and dyslexia support. Read and Write Gold is a popular software product system that integrates text to speech, word prediction, scan and read, and speech recognition features. This site provides links to information about their products and services as well as downloads and the ability to order online.

Educational Software Resellers

Educational Resources
Educational Resources provides educational solutions to assist students in meeting and exceeding learning standards. Visit this site to visit the online catalog, get free trials of top selling titles, access free online previews, and much more.

Learning Services
Learning Services, one of the largest resellers of educational technology products, offers software from many publishers as well as multimedia, presentation hardware and furniture. Visit the site to request a catalog and meet the sales representative in your area. Discover the top selling products from with some opportunities to download trial versions.

Educational Software Publishers

Knowledge Adventure
Knowledge Adventure, a leader in developing, publishing and distributing the well-known Blaster series (Math Blaster, Reading Blaster. JumpStart Learning Systems, offers information about their products. Visit this interactive site to experience the software!!

PLATO Learning
PLATO Learning is a provider of personalized instruction and standards drive assessment. It is developed to sustain continuous academic improvement for K-Adult learning. Their solutions provide supplements to class instruction and is presented with multimedia content and real world situations, active learning situations.

Riverdeep
Riverdeep offers a vast number of resources for educators. Quick links to Destination Success, NCLB (No Child Left Behind) information, lesson plans and grant opportunities. In addition, there are sections designed for parents and students.

Sunburst Technology
Sunburst Technologies offers over 500 software titles for the K-12 market. The well-know brand names include Knowledge Adventure, famous for the well-known Blaster series (Math Blaster, etc). This site offers curriculum correlations as well as an opportunity to order a catalog.

Scholastic, Inc
Scholastic, the largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, is also a leader in innovative application of technology and education. This site offers a preview of popular titles that a visitor may preview including Harry Potter and The Magic School Bus. An area for teachers will take you to lesson plans, teaching strategies and tools including information about graphic organizers. Have fun on your visit.

Tom Synder Productions
Tom Synder Productions is now affiliated with Scholastic. Travel to this site to find the software that this company is known for including titles for science, math, social studies, and reading and language arts. Workshops are available for Multimedia, Critical Thinking and Cooperative Learning, Digital Photography, Integration of the Internet, Handhelds in the Classroom, Literature Circles, Weaving Technology into your Teaching and WebQuests. More information can be discovered about how this company can be helpful to teachers.

Grade Programs

MicroGrade
Chariot Software Group provides assessment, classroom management and test preparation for teachers. MicroGrade is a grading software that automates the tasks of scoring, calculated and evaluating. This site offers an opportunity to download a free copy that can be used for 30 days. Versions are available for Windows 98 through Vista and Mac OS X for non-Intel and Mac OS X Intel.

Web-Based Solutions

Grade Connect
This online tool functions as a course management system with pages for announcements, assignments, a calendar, annotated links to web sites, a custom grade book and even a database to manage the assignment of textbooks. Accounts are free for teacher and students and makes communication a breeze.

EasyGrade Pro
This web edition by Edline and Orbis software allows 24/7 access for teachers, students and parents. Easy Grade Pro 4.0, is available for Windows 2000, XP and Vista, and Mac OS 10.2+.

Engrade
This online classroom community offers free web-based tools for educators. Engrade provides a online assignment calendar, online gradebook, online attendance book that is private, secure and easy to use. View a demo of this tool and sign up to keep students and parents informed.

GradeQuick
Edline publishes GradeQuick for all platforms (Web, Network, Handheld). This grading software offers a full-featured gradebook that is web based and accessible 24/7. Edline backup each day allowing teachers to access previous versions.

Organizations for Support with Diverse Learners

Alliance for Technology Access
The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is a non-profit organization network of community-based resource centers, developers, vendors and associates whose mission is to connect children and adults with disabilities to technology tools. A directory provides the location of ATA resource centers throughout the U.S. Among their resource links is the online book, Computer Resources for People with Disabilities, which contains valuable information regarding vendors, products, and services.

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
At this site, CAST provides abundant information regarding Universal Design for Learning. CAST, a non-profit educational research and development organization, works to create opportunities for all students, particularly those with disabilities, through using technology to make education more flexible and accessible. One of their products, the e-Reader, is a text to speech reader reviewed in this chapter.

Task Generators

Task generators allow teachers to create classroom materials quickly and easily on the web by creating a form and printing directly from the web. The puzzles, rubrics, worksheets, quizzes, or other materials can be saved through various ways such as creating a classroom account or similar space. Read the conditions by which these timesaving online tools can be used and archived for further use.

Puzzlemaker
Discovery Education presents Puzzlemaker, a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Word search, crossword, mazes and math puzzles and much more can be easily created using word lists.

Rubistar
Rubistar, a free tool, assists teachers in rubric development for project-based-learning activities. At this site, templates are provided for teachers that want assistance with rubric development for oral projects, multimedia, math, research and writing, reading, art, work skills, science, music and art.

IEP Related Generators

Personal Education Plan Generator
Created by a teacher, this personal education plan generator is offered at Teach-nology and is defined as a "cross between a behavior contract and an IEP". This form offers to identify the goals, objectives, responsibilities, products and how the success will be evaluated along with dates for meetings.

Charts for Testing Modifications to meet IEP
This tool allows the teacher to make a chart that identifies the assessment needs of special needs students. A part of the tools at Teach-nology.com, the chart can identify the modification needs for up to ten children by simply filling in the online form.

Test and Quiz Generators

Hot Potatoes
Hot Potatoes by Half Baked Software provides this software free of charge for non-profit educational institutions who make their sites available on the Web. Learn about the newest versions for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Check it out!!

Quiz Center at Discovery School
Discovery Education’s Quiz Center allows teachers to create, administer and grade quizzes online and not be a web designer!! To have this option, join My Discovery and set up a “custom classroom” account.