Twenty-two years after we first recognized quality educational software programs in the pages of this magazine, we're still finding a lot to get excited about. From curriculum resources to assessment tools, multimedia authoring to asset tracking, technology continues to provide key support for teaching and learning—and publishers are continuing to deliver innovative tools for educators and students.
Over the course of several weeks, more than 30 educator-judges test-drove over 140 products, looking for the "best of the best" in educational computing. Every title was evaluated by at least three judges, who rated products for quality and effectiveness, ease of use, creative use of technology, and suitability for use in a school environment. We'd like to thank Bernard Burchette, Paula Carmosino, Sharon Fraser, and Renee Ramig, who coordinated judging days at three school sites around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Once every few years a special product category will present itself to our editors and judges, and when it does, we enjoy breaking a bit with tradition to bring it to the attention of our readers. This year, we are happy to bestow a special honor on several programs that have met the challenge of keeping pace with the changing technologies over the years. You can read about these Legacy Award products on page 28.
Now, please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2004 Technology & Learning Awards of Excellence.
- English Language Development
- Language Arts
- Management Tools
- Math and Science
- Multidisciplinary
- Productivity, Creativity, and Communication Tools
- Teacher Tools and Learning Opportunities
- Legacy Awards
- Recently Upgraded Past Award Winners
Judy Salpeter, former editor in chief of T&L, now serves as a consultant, freelance editor, and program chair for Technology & Learning Events.
Michelle Thatcher is software reviews editor for T&L.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Advanced Listening (DynEd International)
Geared to advanced high school students and beyond, this course employs DynEd's multisensory tools to teach high-level listening and note-taking skills. Using university-level lectures from famous authors and experts in fields ranging from genetics to economics, Advanced Listening helps students learn how to identify main ideas, recall and predict information, and take effective notes as they listen. Our judges thought that, in addition to English language learners, a wide range of other students would benefit from the practice and support this program provides.
Win/Mac CD. $450; volume discounts and licenses available. (Grades 9-12)
First English (DynEd International)
A multimedia language tool for older students who are just beginning to learn English, this program offers lessons and activities that spark student interest and make it easy for them to experience success. Lessons begin with listening and speaking practice, then move on to age-appropriate dialogues, vocabulary, and grammar study. An easy interface, multimedia elements, recording and playback features, robust assessment and record-keeping tools, and content that adjusts to student ability levels all add to the program's effectiveness.
Win/Mac CD. $450; volume discounts and licenses available. (Grades 4-12)
Look, Listen, and Speak (Evan-Moor Educational Publishers)
Electronic books are not a new idea, but when it comes to language learning they are still some of the best tools around—especially when created by Evan-Moor, which is known for its simple and appealing materials for young learners. With the introduction of four new titles, Look, Listen, and Speak is now a 10-book series. Each CD includes images with words that are displayed and spoken as students scroll over them; a central story that is read aloud with highlighted text; electronic games; reproducible materials; and songs, chants, and poems that reinforce the language learning.
Win/Mac CD. $19.99 per title. (Grades K-4)
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LANGUAGE ARTS
CompassLearning Odyssey Writer (CompassLearning)
One of the newest additions to CompassLearning's standards-based curriculum series, Odyssey Writer impressed our judges with its engaging approach to teaching the writing process. Students learn about brainstorming, note taking, outlining, and other writing skills in an interactive environment that gives them access to a variety of tools and allows them to receive feedback as they try things out. Teachers can customize assignments, create grading rubrics, and receive reports on student progress.
Web-based. Annual license averages approximately $50 per student. (Grades 3-8)
MY Access! 4.0 (Vantage Learning)
With high-stakes writing assessments becoming increasingly important in the secondary grades, high school students can benefit from opportunities to practice their writing skills with help from a virtual coach. That's exactly what MY Access! does-and it does it well. Judges appreciated the meaningful and engaging writing activities, the support for English language learners, the emphasis on thinking and communications skills, and the consistent and timely feedback provided to students about their writing.
Web-based. Annual license approximately $36 per student per year. (Grades 4-12)
TeachingBooks.net (TeachingBooks.net)
Judges loved how this "awesome" portal makes literature "come alive for students and teachers." Video interviews with authors and illustrators, audio excerpts of professional book readings, thematic book lists, teaching guides for hundreds of books, and links to additional literature-related information online are all designed to help children, teens, and educators locate, study, and enjoy great books.
Web-based. $325-$4,000, depending on number of schools. (Grades K-12)
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MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Destiny Library Manager (Follett Software)
This library management system was a hit with our judges, who really liked its intuitive interface, tools for quick cataloging, standards alignment, helpful reports, and filtered-Web-search capabilities. Because it is Web-based, Destiny is highly portable; using the browser of any Internet-connected computer, students can conduct research remotely, or a library administrator can plug in a handheld scanner and update book-related information. The judges found it to be an "easy, powerful, and meaningful use of technology."
Web-based. Price depends on number of schools.
K2: KeyAuditor & KeyServer (Sassafras Software)
This program combines the well-established KeyServer tool for managing desktop software licenses with the new KeyAuditor, designed for software auditing. Together the two provide an essential utility for system management. Our "techie" judges say it does a great job of auditing, asset tracking, and much more, in an easy-to-use format that offers many options for setting up groups, establishing rules, and customizing.
Win/Mac CD. License ranges from $10 per user to $40 per user, depending on numbers.
NetSupport School 7.5 (NetSupport Limited)
NetSupport School offers a powerful array of tools for tech-savvy teachers in a Windows-based, networked-classroom environment. This software makes it possible to monitor student time on the computer; enable or restrict access to specific programs or Web sites; save, display, or annotate student desktops; conduct instant surveys to determine student understanding; compose and grade tests; set up chat sessions; and much more. It takes time to learn, but the investment will be worth it for educators committed to staying on top of the details involved in establishing and monitoring a computer-rich learning environment.
Windows CD. $1,018 for 25 computers.
Sun Java Desktop System (Sun Microsystems)
Schools that like the idea of a lower-cost, open-source alternative to the standard operating systems will be pleased to know that Sun has succeeded at creating an intuitive and smoothly running Linux-based desktop environment at a reasonable price. The Java Desktop System for Education offers a simple graphical user interface; connectivity applications such as e-mail, a browser, and instant messaging; the StarOffice 7 software; access to a full range of Java applets; and interoperability with Windows data and files.
CD. School license based on $25 per desktop (including service and support).
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MATH and SCIENCE
Go!Temp (Vernier Software & Technology)
For classes that are relatively new to scientific "probeware," the Go!Temp package offers an inexpensive and easy way to get started. Using a temperature probe and the simple but powerful Logger Lite software, users collect, graph, compare, and analyze temperature data. Entertaining investigative activities provided by Vernier have students working together to solve real-world problems and refine their analytic skills.
Win/Mac CD. $39 for single package. (Grades 2-12)
Middle School Mathematics Premier Online Student Editions (Holt, Rinehart and Winston)
These interactive, online versions of Holt's Middle School Math textbooks win for their flexibility and ease of use. Text narration, interactive problem-solving tutorials, and illustrations cater to a range of learning styles—and students can proceed at their own pace, opting for additional examples or practice if necessary. The program's learning management system, meanwhile, allows teachers to assign standards-correlated activities to a whole class with just a few clicks.
Web-based. $55 per student for Level 1, $56.95 per student for Levels 2 and 3; subscriptions last six years. (Grades 6-8)
Hotmath.com (Hotmath)
Some of our judges were already familiar with this popular Web-based resource, while others were thrilled to discover it. Easy to use from both home and school, Hotmath offers step-by-step tutorials for problems found in leading math textbooks. Students and parents will appreciate the 24/7 help, while teachers will like the optional reports and the ways in which Hotmath supports the existing curriculum.
Web-based. School licenses range from $75 to $575, depending on number of users. (Grades 6-12)
Life, Earth, and Physical Science Collections (Discovery Channel School)
In addition to the great video one expects from the Discovery Channel, these CD titles offer a variety of engaging activities for secondary-grade science students. There are virtual labs where students can perform hundreds of simulated experiments; video presentations narrated in both English and Spanish; grade-appropriate assessments; and opportunities for users to keep journals, design multimedia presentations, or create their own inventions.
Win/Mac CD. Begins at $59.95 for single user. (Grades 6-12)
MathAndScience4U.com (Intellectum Plus)
With video-based tutorials, real-world examples, and an interactive problem-solving environment to help students apply physics concepts, this multifaceted program suits a variety of learning styles. As students set out to solve problems, they have access to aids such as a calculator, charts, formulas, and strategy suggestions. Once students select an answer, the program, which makes extensive use of artificial intelligence, explains why their answer is right or wrong and offers a visual summary of the entire process they have just followed.
Web-based. Subscriptions range from $16.95-$889.99, depending on duration and number of users. (Grades 6-12)
Teachers' Domain: Science (WGBH Educational Productions)
Secondary science classes can make great use of this easy-to-use, free resource. Teachers' Domain is a multimedia library featuring images, articles, media-rich lesson plans, and video footage drawn from public-television archives. Our judges would have loved to have seen more topics covered but were pleased with the quality of the multimedia resources currently available as well as the user-friendly interface.
Web-based. Free. (Grades K-12 and teachers)
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MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Leapster Multimedia Learning System with Kindergarten Software (LeapFrog Enterprises)
Although the Leapster—LeapFrog's battery-operated handheld device for the early grades—is marketed as a consumer device, without all the teacher materials and multiple-unit packaging that LeapFrog SchoolHouse is known for, our judges thought primary-grade teachers would love it. Using a touch-screen stylus or a control pad, students play educational games, page through storybooks, and create artwork. The judges gave a "thumbs up" to the language and math activities in the Kindergarten software they reviewed.
Hardware/software combination. $79.99 for Leapster hardware; $24.99 for single copy of software. (Grades pre-K-1)
SmithsonianEducation.org (Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies)
If you can't make it to Washington for a field trip to the Smithsonian museums, this Web site is the next best thing. Picture galleries, brief articles, interesting factoids, and a variety of educational games add up to entertaining history, art, and science learning for students. Teachers will really appreciate the lesson plans, searchable by grade level as well as subject area—and the fact that it is all available at no cost!
Web-based. Free. (Grades K-12)
SRA TechKnowledge (SRA/McGraw-Hill)
Teachers who want to get their elementary-grade students comfortable with technology skills while reinforcing other curriculum areas will love TechKnowledge. This computer-literacy software features hundreds of interactive learning activities, presented by age-appropriate animated characters, with voice-over in both English and Spanish. Judges were impressed by the user-friendly interface, entertaining content, management system, ready-to print templates, and wealth of ideas from real teachers.
Choice of Win/Mac CD, LAN, or Web-based versions. Online version is $8.52 per student per year, with other pricing options available. (Grades K-6)
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PRODUCTIVITY, CREATIVITY, and COMMUNICATION TOOLS
Grokker 2.1 (Groxis)
Libraries and media centers will rejoice over this easy-to-use research tool, which displays search results from a variety of databases (including the Web) in a visual "map" that can be altered, edited, and shared with students or colleagues. The program automatically sorts search results from disparate sources into intuitive groups that make it easier and faster to reach specific, relevant materials.
Download for Win/Mac. $49 for single copy. (Grades K-12 and teachers)
Macromedia Breeze (Macromedia)
Any district interested in Web conferencing for distance learning, professional development, or other types of remote meetings should check out Macromedia Breeze. Based on Macromedia's widely used Flash Player, and offering a variety of wizards to introduce new features, Breeze is very easy to learn and to use. One can use PowerPoint to author online presentations; share video, audio, images, and voice over IP during live meetings; use a virtual whiteboard to illustrate what is being discussed; and archive and search content from previous meetings. Although our judges could identify a few areas for improvement, they were enthusiastic about the power and potential of this best-in-breed solution.
Web-based. Site licenses begin at $9,000. (Grades 6-12 and teachers)
Pinnacle Studio (Pinnacle Systems)
The features offered by this movie-making tool are not unusual, but our judges found Pinnacle Studio, version 9, to be effective, intuitive, and "a great Windows alternative to Apple's iMovie." It offers quick and easy video-editing tools, including transitions, titles, and special effects; sophisticated editing features for color correction, image stabilization, noise reduction, and more; and great tutorials. For users who do not have video-capture hardware, Pinnacle offers several software/hardware packages for importing footage for digital editing.
Windows CD with or without hardware. Single copy price ranges from $59 for software only to $129 for Pinnacle Studio MovieBox USB hardware/software combo. (Grades 6-12 and teachers)
StarOffice 7 Office Suite (Sun Microsystems)
Available to elementary and secondary schools at a minimal price, this cross-platform integrated office suite runs on Windows or Linux. Word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, a database, and a graphics editor are all part of the package, with the resulting files compatible with Microsoft Office. Our judges found it easy to learn and really liked the online professional development options, technical support, and lesson plans.
Windows or Linux CD or download. Free download; $25 for five CDs; $50 for documentation kit. (Grades 6-12 and teachers)
Stationery Studio (FableVision)
This simple but powerful program, created especially for kids and classrooms, includes user-friendly design tools and lots of great ideas for using them. In addition to the note cards, name tags, and certificates one might expect from a program by the name of Stationery Studio, teachers will appreciate the activity suggestions and templates to get students excited about creating stories, newsletters, reports, postcards, mini-books, and more.
Win/Mac CD. Ranges from $69.95 for single computer to $699.95 for unlimited building license. (Grades K-5)
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TEACHER TOOLS and LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Edusoft Version 2.4 (Edusoft)
This assessment platform won kudos for its clean user interface. The Web-based application allows educators to analyze data from student information systems, state exams, and paper tests, and then prescribe interventions using standards-aligned resources. Though several judges lamented that Edusoft had no online testing option, they felt that the ease of use and depth of data management made it a very useful tool for monitoring student progress.
Web-based. Price depends on district size. (Grades K-12)
IntelliTools Classroom Suite (IntelliTools)
IntelliTools, known for its special education software and hardware, has introduced an ambitious new suite of tools to allow teachers to create simple and appealing standards-based activities for a wide range of students. There are ready-made templates for multisensory lessons and assessments in all the core content areas; a graphics tool, virtual math manipulative editor, and talking word processor for student and teacher use; record-keeping tools; and many options for teachers to customize lessons to the individual learning needs of their students.
Win/Mac CD. $299.95; volume discounts and site licenses available. (Grades K-5)
LeapTrack Assessment & Instruction System (LeapFrog SchoolHouse)
Any school that has invested—or has considered investing—in a LeapFrog SchoolHouse library of interactive storybooks will want to know about LeapTrack. It ships with its own collection of skill cards, interactive books, and QuantumPad hardware devices on which to read them. As students answer questions in an interactive assessment book, data is saved to a memory cartridge which can then be popped into a cartridge station attached to a computer, offering the teacher valuable feedback on the progress and reading needs of each student in the class.
Hardware/software/print combination. $3,795 for classroom set. (Grades K-5)
QuickMind.net (Sunburst Technology)
Our judges loved this vast collection of teacher resources. For starters, there are quick-and-easy tools for generating homework assignments, quizzes, and such classroom favorites as crossword puzzles and word searches. The judges also liked the collection of Web-based lessons, virtual field trips, scavenger hunts, and projects—as well as the great tools for creating their own. Rounding out the picture are simple presentation tools and an extensive collection of research materials, references, lesson plans, and teacher's guides.
Web-based. $1,199 for single-classroom license. (Grades K-12)
Scholastic Red (Scholastic)
To evaluate Scholastic Red's professional development program, our judges spent time with one of the company's ten online reading courses: Improving Fluency, Grades 3-8.
They were impressed with the user-friendly environment, the high level of interactivity, and the wealth of resources for supporting teacher practice. Featuring video footage of master teachers, simulations that allow participants to practice what they are learning, lesson plans, and access to experts in the field, Scholastic Red classes can be used by teachers independently or districts can opt for group enrollment.
Web-based. $425 for single registrant in one class. (K-5 teachers)
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LEGACY AWARDS
This year we created a new awards category for entrants that have taken great programs and made them better. Whether the legacy began more than two decades ago or less than one, all of these programs have received favorable reviews and recognition in past years. Evaluated in their current versions, they all impressed this year's judges with their new features and the ways in which they have withstood the test of time.
American Museum of Natural History
"As ever," wrote one of our judges, "the American Museum of Natural History entries are excellent!" Which is why it is not surprising that AMNH ended up winning three Legacy awards this year. Seminars on Science, the museum's six-week professional development courses, are now available on the eClassroom platform.
The graphical environment, ease of use, and high-quality content that won these offerings awards in the past are still there, and some helpful new features, including an orientation section, have been added. With four new science- and archeology-related titles, the Resources for Learning Special Collections free databases continue to impress our judges with their "awesome" reference materials, user-friendly design, vivid photo galleries, and interesting learning activities. AMNH's award-winning, no-cost OLogy series for students in grades 3 through 6 has two new offerings: marine biology and archaeology. There is also a new guide designed to introduce after-school educators to the games, science simulations, and other entertaining activities offered by OLogy and to the ways the series can be used in their programs.
Chancery has established itself during the past two decades as one of the leading players in the student-information field. Its products for the Windows and Macintosh platforms have been recognized in the Technology & Learning Awards of Excellence before, and our judges felt that Chancery SMS 4, the company's current Schools Interoperability Framework-compliant, Web-based system, deserved a Legacy award for its reliability, ease of use, and helpful tools for educators at all levels of the organization.
The venerable reference publisher continues to offer a huge variety of searchable multimedia resources through Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite 2004 and Britannica Online School Edition. Each offering is actually three encyclopedias, with materials aligned to appropriate age groups (elementary, middle, high school and adult). The School Edition expands on the Ultimate Reference with standards-aligned activity guides, a directory of school-appropriate Web sites, and downloadable student activities.
The Deep Freeze products might have a narrow focus—to protect Windows desktop systems and allow for remote management and rebooting when problems do occur—but they are tools that network administrators find essential. Building on the success of previous award-winner Deep Freeze Professional, Deep Freeze Enterprise impressed our "techie" judges once again with its even more powerful and user-friendly controls for protecting hundreds of systems.
FileMaker Pro's legacy award reflects its clear place as a best-in-class product for any organization in need of powerful database tools. FileMaker Pro 7, the version we evaluated this year, has added a number of valuable new features-including new levels of data security, greatly expanded storage capacity, 30 customizable "starter solutions," and the ability to incorporate a wide variety of file types and to open multiple windows in the same database.
Inspiration for Palm OS made us want to take a second look at this perennial favorite and past award winner. Users can now build concept maps and organize outlines on their handheld or AlphaSmart Dana, then sync with the desktop version of the program, export information to a word processor, or beam directly to a printer. Easy-to-view toolbars ensure every necessary function is a tap away, and zoom features make the switch to the smaller screen a cinch.
JASON Foundation for Education
For 15 years, Robert Ballard and other scientists and explorers involved in the JASON Project have been enabling students to participate virtually in exciting expeditions of scientific discovery-from the underwater exploration of the Titanic to the 2003-2004 Rainforests at the Crossroads expedition our judges evaluated. Classes visiting the archives of previous trips or participating in the current project, Disappearing Wetlands, have access to a rich array of well-designed learning materials, including hands-on activities, videos, articles, and on-the-spot broadcasts from the expedition team.
Although the series name is different, The Literacy Center continues in the tradition of previous award-winner Ready Set Leap. Like its preschool predecessor, the Literacy Center (with versions for kindergarten, first, and second grades) features read-aloud storybooks operating on LeapFrog's kid-friendly LeapPad laptops as well as a comprehensive array of entertaining learning materials, posters, and work cards. Like other LeapFrog SchoolHouse titles, these also feature excellent teacher materials for supporting early literacy instruction.
This year we honor Riverdeep with Legacy awards for two programs that are classics in the world of educational software. Kid Pix Deluxe, now in version 4, continues to be a delightful, playful tool for young artists to use for drawing, stamping, animating, doodling, and creating simple slide shows. After nearly 20 years of entertaining students while teaching them geography, the Carmen Sandiego geography series is still going strong. The new school versions of the Where in the World and Where in the USA sleuthing games are as much fun as ever and feature new electronic reference tools and teacher materials focusing on state and national standards.
The SMART Board has been a favorite with our judges in the past and this year was no exception. We looked at an all-in-one Rear Projection SMART Board unit and accompanying software-including the SMART Ideas 4.1 concept-mapping software-and found them to be up to SMART Technologies' usual high standards for ease of use and educational value.
Vernier has won a number of T&L Awards of Excellence over the years and Logger Pro, the software for collecting, analyzing, and graphing data in conjunction with the LabPro interface and Vernier's many sensors, has occasionally been part of the mix. The recently upgraded version, Logger Pro 3, is as easy and powerful as ever and adds the ability to import data from handhelds, create multipage documents, and incorporate multimedia elements such as photos, video, and QuickTime movies.
TRACKING THE TRENDS
As we announce Technology & Learning's 22nd annual award winners and gear up for this magazine's 25th anniversary year, it is interesting to take a big-picture look at the programs that represent today's best offerings. From old favorites that have changed dramatically over time to newcomers that seemed barely possible in the days of video discs and dial-up modems, we've come a long way. Here are some of the things that make this year's winners special.
Old Favorites Coming of Age. As illustrated by this year's Legacy Award winners, a number of strong programs from the past have continued to mature and improve. Online encyclopedias from Britannica, "probeware" from Vernier, student information systems from Chancery, the venerable Filemaker database, and newer "classics" such as Inspiration's idea organizers are all examples of programs that have effectively changed with the times.
Multimedia Online. While it's not the first year we've seen great Web-based programs that deliver video, audio, and interactive simulations via the Internet, never have these multimedia elements seemed so smoothly integrated into the resulting programs. Although CD titles continue to win honors, gone are the days when it was necessary to deliver instructional software on CD or virtual field trips via satellite in order to tap into realistic, real-time media.
Standards-Based Programs. Not surprisingly, many of today's best educational offerings are ones that focus on improving student skills in areas such as math, science, and language arts-including language instruction for students whose first language is not English. A number of great programs build on the expertise of a generation of software developers to create standards-based programs that engage, assess, and support students as they learn.
Artificial Intelligence. From MathAndScience4U.com, which uses "fuzzy logic" to analyze student problem-solving, to the two writing programs that won awards in part because of their ability to provide feedback on student compositions, we saw some great examples of artificial intelligence brought to bear on instruction. While nothing is quite as effective as one-on-one human coaching, several of these programs come pretty close-with an approach that is far more scalable.
Tools and More Tools. Once again we recognize a variety of great utilities that help students, teachers, administrators, and technology support staff do their jobs better than ever. These tools focus on everything from auditing software installations to managing networked classrooms, from designing classroom curriculum materials to conducting online meetings.
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RECENTLY UPGRADED PAST AWARD WINNERS
Where are they now? Here are a few updates on past winners of T&L’s Awards of Excellence.
One of last year’s Top Winners and an education favorite, iLife has been upgraded to include major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and iTunes. But the biggest addition is GarageBand, Apple’s easy-to-use program for professional-level music editing and mixing.
Since winning last year, online tutorial provider Atomic Learning has more than doubled the size of its library, bringing the total number of technology tutorials to more than 12,000. The recently redesigned site also offers workshops on creating newsletters, searching the Web, and other topics, as well as more than 180 lesson plans.
Kidspiration , the elementary version of a favorite visual thinking tool, wowed judges in 2001. This year saw the release of Kidspiration 2, which includes tools for drawing, unlimited Super Grouper images, Venn diagram capabilities, and one-click transfer to word processors. Supporting the new version are a book of lesson plans (Kidspiration in the Classroom) and a training CD.
Another of last year’s Top Winners, netTrekker has continued to enhance content and functionality at its school-friendly search engine. New content areas have been added to the Dynamic Timeline, and Famous Person Search results are now displayed in alphabetical order. A Report a Problem button allows users to quickly flag results for staff review, and new administrator tools provide enhanced usage reports and other management options.
With VideoStudio, “ you and your students can be creating professional-looking movies in record time,” we wrote in 2003. The latest release, VideoStudio 8, features such enhanced editing tools as pan & zoom effects, duotones, and new options for transitions. Educators will especially appreciate the new three-step MovieWizard, which walks novices through the movie-making process. PhotoImpact, also a winner in 2003, now has in-depth video tutorials and hands-on project lessons. The software also includes an intelligent photo correction feature, new filters, and advanced photography engines.
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