Best New Software

Volume 31, Number 3, February 2004

Joanne Troutner

Multimedia projects for Macromedia Flash MX and Dreamweaver MX.
Macromedia Education. Grades 6-12. Includes complete lessons for creating an electronic portfolio, a basic web site, a web photo album, a mini-lesson movie and a digital autobiography using Macromedia products. The step-by-step guides are superb and provide excellent springboards for any number of curriculum-based projects.

ArithHelper.
Moca Educational Products, Inc. Grades 1-6. Using three simple drill-and-skill programs, learners can practice the four arithmetic operations in a timed and untimed mode. A Homework Helper provides step-by-step help in solving problems and a Time Teller option gives practice in telling time by the hour, half hour, and minutes. A well-developed and reasonably priced electronic workbook.

A bigger world: Math & the cosmos; Math & music.
Wildridge Education. Grades 7-12. These programs provide multimedia lessons following a superbly written interdisciplinary curriculum. Learners use the planets to uncover the world of math, vocabulary and history, while music is the gateway into ancient number systems, physics, cultures and a variety of other topics.

Criterion.
ETS Technologies. Grades 6-12. This fee-based writing evaluation service offers an excellent teaching tool for middle, high school and English as a Second Language teachers. Students submit essays on the vast number of writing prompts in the system and receive a holistic rubric score as well as comments on grammar, usage, mechanics and style, as well as organization and development. Teacher-developed prompts are evaluated for the writing options but do not receive a holistic rubric score.

Joanne Troutner is director of Media/Technology for the Tippecanoe School Corporation and owner of Creative Computer Enterprises in Lafayette, Indiana. She can be contacted at troutner@mindspring.com.