Education World's product evaluations reflect the observations and opinions of classroom teachers and educational technology coordinators, based on actual classroom use.

Did iWork Pass the Teacher Test?
Touted as the successor to AppleWorks, iWork contains both a template-driven word processing program called Pages, and an upgraded version of Keynote, Apple's presentation program. But does it deserve the hype? Members of Ed World's Tech Team offer their opinions about iWork's usefulness for educators.

The Best K-12 Freeware 
Are you anxious to teach with technology, but find yourself short of computer resources? Did all your district's technology funds go to hardware -- leaving little money left over for educational software? Discover the variety of quality freeware available online -- and learn which ones the Education World Tech Team voted as their favorite finds!

Inspiration for Palm: A Tech Team Review
Since 1988, Inspiration software has transformed how teachers and students brainstorm and organize ideas in the classroom. Recently, the company released Inspiration for Palm OS. Does it live up to its big brother's reputation? Education World takes a look.

Bernie's Typing Travels
Bernie's Typing Travels is keyboarding software for the elementary grades. Education World reviewers who checked out Bernie's Typing Travels in actual classroom situations rate the software on a scale of 1-4 and share their thoughts about the program's value.

Kidspiration 2
Education World reviewers check out Kidspiration 2, the new version of the popular visual learning program, and then share with readers their thoughts about the software. Discover what they had to say!

EasyTech
Recently, Education World reviewers checked out EasyTech, an online program that merges technology training and instruction in core curricular areas. The reviewers, who used EasyTech in actual classroom situations, shared their thoughts about the program's strengths and weaknesses.

Golden Retriever
With Golden Retriever, researchers can locate online information, add notes to or highlight Web pages, and copy the contents to their hard drive. Then, when the user wants the information again, Golden Retriever "fetches" the saved page(s) and the user's notes.

30-Minute Websites for Teachers
30-Minute Websites for Teachers, from Online Solutions for Teachers, is a Web-based tool that gives educators -- with no knowledge of HTML -- a way to create their own Web sites. Learn what our reviewers had to say about their Web building experience.

GuruNet
With GuruNet, a software reference tool for Windows, users can search for information on more than a half million topics or "alt-click" screen text to bring up concise definitions, explanations, information, images, and more about the selected topic or text.

PASCO Scientific's Hydromania Introductory Bundle
The Properties of Water science activity kit is designed to teach students about the properties of water through five hands-on investigations. Learn why Education World reviewers gave it a perfect score.

FlashMaster
FlashMaster, a handheld "computer that replaces flashcards," allows students to practice math facts at school and at home. Education World reviewers -- teachers and students -- share their thoughts about FlashMaster's usefulness and appeal.

RoboDemo
RoboDemo, a software program from eHelp Corporation, allows users to easily create interactive technology training materials. Recently, Education World reviewers checked out RoboDemo in actual tech training situations, rated the software on a scale of 1-4, and shared their opinions about the program's strengths and weaknesses. Discover what they had to say.

ConceptDraw MINDMAP
ConceptDraw MINDMAP allows users to employ mind-mapping techniques to prepare reports and presentations, take notes, and organize brainstorming sessions. Discover what Education Worlds reviewers had to say about the programs power, versatility, and potential for classroom use.

SmartDraw
SmartDraw allows teachers to create charts, diagrams, timelines, technical drawings, and a variety of professional-looking documents and presentations. Education World reviewers, who recently checked out SmartDraw in both their personal and professional lives, share their experiences with this versatile software.

NetOp School
NetOp School allows teachers and teacher trainers to monitor, share, and control the PCs of an entire classroom or an individual student. Education World reviewers who checked out NetOp School in actual classroom situations rate the software on a scale of 1-4 and share their thoughts about the program's value.

NetSupport School
NetSupport School is a software application that allows teachers to display their computer screens on students' computers, to monitor students' computer screens, to chat with students in individual or group discussions, to distribute files, and to send and collect course work automatically. Education World asked five reviewers to use NetSupport School in his or her school and rate the software. The results are in -- and this is what our reviewers had to say!

Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements, from Adobe Systems, Inc., is a student-friendly version of Adobe Photoshop, the well-known professional digital imaging tool. Elements allows even inexperienced users, working with photographs from digital or traditional cameras, to straighten and crop pictures, remove red-eye, fix over-exposed areas, adjust tone and color, and then prepare the edited images for print, e-mail, or Web posting.

Report Designer
Report Designer by Big Wave Software allows educators to create their own student progress reports. The program provides report templates and includes an extensive library of learning outcomes in nine subject areas, allowing teachers to create, save, and print custom grading reports.

Reading for Meaning
Reading for Meaning by Tom Snyder Productions is designed to improve student reading comprehension and provide practice in such skills and concepts as main idea, inference, sequence, cause and effect, and compare and contrast. The program includes 35 lessons, complete with authentic literature by such authors as Robert Frost, Jack London, Louis Sachar, and more. In addition, teachers can use the graphic organizers with, and apply the four-step process to, their own literature selections. All lessons can be used with a whole class, small groups, or individual students.

TimeLiner 5.0
TimeLiner by Tom Snyder Productions allows students in grades K-12 to create timelines by simply entering events and dates. The program includes a large library of historical images and other clip art, and allows users to import additional images from the Web. Students can also add movies and sounds to create multimedia timelines. Completed timelines can be printed, posted to the Web, or presented in slide shows.

Graph Master
Graph Master, a product of Tom Snyder Productions, is a graphing program for students in grades four through eight. The software allows students to create, manipulate, and interpret data in nine different graph types: bar graph, line graph, line plot, pictograph, scatterplot, box plot, circle graph, histogram, and frequency chart.

The Graph Club
The Graph Club, a product of Tom Snyder Productions, is a graphing program for students in grades K-4. The software allows students to create tables, as well as colorful picture, bar, line, and circle graphs.

Inspiration
Education World asked a group of teachers and educational technology specialists to use with their students Inspiration, concept-mapping software for grades 6-12. The reviewers then rated the software and noted the program's strengths and weaknesses, observations, and suggestions. Read what our reviewers had to say!

Kidspiration
Education World asked a group of teachers and educational technology specialists to use with their students Kidspiration, concept-mapping software for grades K-3. The reviewers then rated the software and noted the program's strengths and weaknesses, observations, and suggestions. Read what our reviewers had to say!