For teachers and administrators, a new school year means weighing new options. From network security tools to formative assessment products, the realm of educational technology offers no shortage of tools for classroom and district improvement. Technology & Learning's Back to School Product Guide provides a glimpse of dozens of products and services that just might be the right fit for your school.
• 3Com
The Education Module automatically dials students' home phone numbers when they are absent from school or to notify parents of upcoming school fundraisers and events. Parents can also call in to get homework and other information. 800-638-3266; www.3com.com
• Achieve3000
The Web-based reading and writing instruction programs, KidBiz3000 and TeenBiz3000 , are now tailoring assignments to students' Lexile levels. The Lexile Framework for Reading allows for easy monitoring of reading progress by providing a common scale that matches reader ability and text difficulty. 888-968-6822; www.achieve3000.com
• American Museum of Natural History
OLogy is a Web site targeted at kids ages seven and older, allowing them to play games and read features about topics such as paleontology, genetics, and biodiversity. In addition, the Stuff to Do section lists activities that kids can do away from the computer. www.ology.amnh.org
• Atomic Learning
Atomic Learning has added new tutorials and services to its Web site, including unitedstreaming, a Discovery Education video-on-demand service, 39 new movies for students using Blackboard, and a Mac OS X 10.4 primer. www.atomiclearning.com
• Blackboard
Application Pack Three for the Academic Suite has multilanguage support for online courses and a new assessment engine. 800-424-9299; www.blackboard.com
• BrainPOP
BrainPOP en Espanol is a Web site with Spanish language animated educational content. Subjects include math, social studies, health, and technology. www.brainpop.com
• Bytes of Learning
UltraKey 5.0 and UltraKey 5.0 Data Server allow educators to manage keyboarding instruction from a centralized location. Student progress can be uploaded to a central server in real time, and teachers can manage the work via the Internet. 800-465-6428; www.bytesoflearning.com
• Califone
Califone's USB headsets are made of ABS plastic and have reinforced connectors, adjustable headbands, and replaceable leatherette ear cushions. Each headset (models 3064, 3066, and 4100) has a flexible boom microphone. 800-722-0500; www.califone.com
• Catapult Learning
Catapult Online is an interactive tutoring service that provides instructions to students in their homes. The service employs VoIP and electronic whiteboard technologies and includes more than 11,000 math and reading lessons. www.catapultlearning.com
• Centennial Software
DeviceWall is an internal security tool that protects against viruses and data theft by preventing the connection of unauthorized removable media, such as iPods, PDAs, and flash memory sticks, to computers on the network. 503-238-7455; www.centennial-software.com
• Centurion Technologies
CompuGuard CornerStone hard drive and data protection hardware prevents computer configuration changes and can be managed remotely. 800-224-7977; www.centuriontech.com
• Chancery Software
A Web-based student information system, Chancery SMS 6.0 now includes the Program Management feature, which allows schools and districts to assess a student's program eligibility through a range of factors, track program attendance, monitor student assessment, and more. 800-999-9931; www.chancery.com
• Cisco Systems
Packetville is a Web portal featuring educational content and interactive games about math and science. It features cartoon characters that students can follow through various activities about technology. 800-553-6387; www.cisco.com
• Compass Learning
CompassLearning has added test items and new curriculum to its Odyssey product suites. The program includes an expanded Item Bank, which offers users access to repositories of test items they can use to create customized tests. Odyssey also has updated math and language arts K-8 curriculum and assessment correlations for Utah, Missouri, Kentucky, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. 800-422-4339; www.compasslearning.com
• Connections Academy
Connections Academy, a provider of virtual public schools, has published Learning Without Boundaries: How to Make Virtual Schooling Work for You. The book contains advice from Connection Academy parents and educators, offering tips for classroom setup, motivation strategies, curriculum planning, and more. 800-382-6010; www.connectionsacademy.com
• Curriculum Advantage
Classworks 5.7, a network-based system of K-12 reading and math curriculum and learning tools, includes a universal import utility for processing test data and a revised benchmarking test. 888-841-4790; www.curriculumadvantage.com
• Curriculum Associates
This company is offering free online courses about classroom discipline, test preparation strategies, and differentiated instruction. Each course can be completed in three or four lessons. 800-225-0248; www.catraining.com
• Dukane
The ConVA Media Control System software is designed to allow teachers to control and monitor document cameras, video projectors, and DVD/VCR players. 800-676-2485; www.dukcorp.com/av
• Ebrary
As part of the Dynamic Content Platform, ebrary's free Reader offers users access to more than 60,000 books and other documents, one page at a time. By linking a word or a phrase, users can link out to other ebrary resources or to the Web. 650-475-8700; www.ebrary.com
• Educational Insights
The Smart Talk is a tabletop device designed to improve the vocabulary of young children. Smart Talk uses picture cards to allow children to hear words spoken aloud and in context, and it also tests them on what they've learned. 800-995-4436, www.educationalinsights.com
• Educational Testing Service
The ETS Formative Assessment Item Bank contains more than 11,000 math and language arts questions for teachers to use in K-12 classrooms. IDMS 5.0 (Instructional Data Management System) allows educators to align instruction to state standards, create formative assessments, and generate reports at multiple levels. 866-221-7329; www.etspulliam.org
• Epson
Lightweight and small, Epson's PowerLite 760c and PowerLite 765c weigh less than 4 lb. each, feature native XGA resolution (1,024 by 768) and up to 2,500 ANSI lumens brightness. The Stylus CX4600 All-in-One offers photo-quality printing, scanning, PC-free copying, and card slots for standalone printing. 800-463-7766; www.epson.com
• Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Skill Sharpeners is a 24-book series providing grade-level specific practice in reading, math, spelling, and writing. The series, which is meant to be administered by parents at home, is designed for children to work independently. 800-777-4362; www.evan-moor.com
• GoKnow
The Handheld Learning Environment is designed to help teachers manage, assess, and back up student documents created on handheld computers; it also includes lessons for grades 4-9 and tools for concept mapping, text editing, drawing, and animating. 800-203-3412; www.goknow.com
• GradeNetwork
GradeNetwork allows students and parents to log in on the Web to track grades. Each student receives secure log in information, and districts can purchase school-wide memberships. 888-237-1256; www.gradenetwork.com
• Harcourt Assessment
Stanford Learning First is a Web-based classroom assessment system for grades three through eight. The system’s two primary components, formative assessments called ClassLinks and summative assessments called ClassViews, are custom-built by state. The product is currently available in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. 800-211-8378; www.harcourtassessment.com
• Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
Expresate! Premier Online Edition connects students via the Web to audio and video resources for learning Spanish. It features self-grading workbooks, voice recording, and a searchable grammar bank. 800-992-1627; www.hrw.com
• Honeywell
Instant Alert 2.0 allows schools to send emergency and routine messages to telephones, cell phones, pagers, e-mail, and PDAs in English and Spanish. 800-328-5111; www.honeywell.com
• ImagiWorks
The ImagiProbe Airlink Sensor Interface allows students to connect to sensors up to 30 feet away using a Bluetooth-equipped Palm-compatible handheld. The wireless system supports the PASCO PASPORT line of digital sensors. 877-373-0300; www.imagiworks.com
• InFocus
The InFocus X3 multi-use digital projector features a 4,000-hour lamp and DarkChip2 DLP technology from Texas Instruments. 800-660-0024; www.infocus.com
• Kanguru Solutions
The wireless Kanguru Presenter’s Mouse allows users to save data to the mouse via a normal USB port, then access it remotely. The mouse also serves as a laser pointer and features right- and left-click capabilities and plug and play compatibility. 888-526-4878; www.kanguru.com
• Kerio Technologies
Kerio MailServer 6.1 features Sender Policy Framework, which is a method of e-mail domain authentication, a new Spam Repellent tool, and dual antivirus scanning. The server is designed for small and medium-size organizations. 408-496-4500; www.kerio.com
• Kurzweil Educational Systems
The Kurzweil 3000 version 9 reading comprehension tool supports the Firefox Web browser and online reference information such as the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, and it provides male and female voices to suit the user's preference. 800-894-5374; www.kurzweiledu.com
• LeapFrog Schoolhouse
Version 4.0 of the K-5 LeapTrack assessment and instruction system has been aligned with state content standards and has new features such as Parent Report, a take-home student report for parents that is also available in Spanish. 800-883-7430; www.leaptrack.com
• Learning.com
TechLiteracy Assessment measures students' proficiency in communication and information technologies district wide. The K-8 system will be available in Spring 2006. 800-580-4640; www.learning.com
• LearningWare
Gameshow Prep, formerly Gameshow Pro, allows teachers to develop TV-style game shows around their own curriculum. The program also allows for the inclusion of state-aligned math and science content for grades 6-9. Add-on question packs are also available. 800-457-5661; www.learningware.com
• Lexmark
The W840 is a monochrome laser printer that prints as many as 50 letter-size pages per minute and is geared toward high-volume printing environments. 800-358-5835; www.lexmark.com
• Library Video Co./Safari Video Networks
Safari Montage is a video-on-demand server that comes with preloaded content from Scholastic, National Geographic, PBS, and more. 800-843-3620; www.safarimontage.com
• Lightspeed Systems
Version 5.03 of the security application Total Traffic Control features improved content filtering functionality. The software also includes antispam, antivirus, and bandwidth management capabilities. 661-324-4291; www.lightspeedsystems.com
• Macromedia
Breeze 5 uses Macromedia's Flash player to enable online meetings and presentations for virtual schools and distance learning applications. 800-470-7211; www.macromedia.com
• McGraw-Hill Digital Learning
Yearly ProgressPro Reading/Language Arts provides two types of weekly assessments that allow educators to monitor progress in student achievement: the Reading Maze measures overall reading ability, while the Language Arts assessment diagnoses strengths and weaknesses in decoding, vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension. 800-848-1567; www.mhdigitallearning.com
• Microsoft
Learning Essentials for Microsoft Office is designed to allow students and teachers to customize Office. The Shared Computer Toolkit lets IT managers optimize Windows XP computers for shared environments such as school computer labs. 800-642-7676; www.microsoft.com
• M.I.N.D. Institute
The Math + Music program incorporates video games and music to teach mathematics in a non-language-based manner. The program is designed for grades K-5. 714-751-5915; www.mindinstitute.net
• Motion Computing
The LE1600 slate tablet PC weighs 3.1 lb., runs on Windows XP PC Edition 2005, and is built to order. The tablet's screen has a 12.1-inch, high-resolution XGA viewing area, and a DVI-D port allows for output to flat-panel monitors and projectors. 866-682-2538; www.motioncomputing.com
• Nemx Software
SecurExchange is an exchange server security and e-mail content monitoring tool that protects against spam and virus attacks and monitors e-mail for compliance and content policy violations. 613-831-2010; www.nemx.com
• NetSupport
Version 8.0 of NetSupport School, an interactive teaching tool, assists educators in instructing and supporting students in a networked classroom. The new version includes an automated lesson plan suite with a faster performance engine and an interactive whiteboard. 888-665-0808; www.netsupport-inc.com
• Nortel
The Multimedia Communication Server 5100 is a multimedia tool that allows for videoconferencing, application sharing, IP telephony, and instant messaging for virtual learning. 800-466-7835; www.nortel.com
• palmOne
LifeDrive is a mobile manager that features a 4 GB hard drive, built-in wireless connectivity, and multimedia capabilities. Users can remotely retrieve Microsoft Office files from a desktop; access their e-mail on wi-fi- enabled campuses; and enjoy MP3s, photos, and video content. 408-617-7000; www.palmone.com
• Pearson Digital Learning
Math Concepts and Skills 2, which is part of Pearson's SuccessMaker courseware, has been redesigned and updated. The K-8 interface has an individual theme for each grade, multimedia characters, and more than 1,600 mathematics learning objectives. 888-977-7900; www.pearsondigital.com
• Pitsco LEGO Educational Division
The three CDs in the Robotics Educator multimedia series include Robotics Educator, C-Based Program-ming Educator, and Robotics Explorer Series I. The discs are geared toward teaching math and science, the NQC and Interactive C programming languages, and problem solving. 800-362-4308; www.pitsco.com
• Polycom
ClassStation Primary, Secondary, Small, and Large distance learning systems feature H.264 video, StereoSurround audio, closed caption support, segment icons, Web servers, array microphones, and more. www.polycom.com
• Riverdeep
The Learning Management System 3.0 lets teachers and administrators track student, class, school, and district data through a browser-based portal. It includes 14,000 reading and math questions for formative assessments. 888-242-6747; www.riverdeep.com
• Roving Planet
The Scan & Block network protection tool inspects any internal or guest user's device to make sure that the operating system is up to date with security fixes, patches, and anitvirus software. It is a complement to Roving Planet's Commander Suite 3.0 Enterprise Edition. 303-996-7560; www.rovingplanet.com
• Sagebrush
The InfoCentre library automation system creates customizable reports, works on Macs and PCs, and scans bar codes. 800-533-5430; www.sagebrushcorp.com
•St. Bernard Software
Version 4.0 of iPrism is an Internet filtering appliance that blocks inappropriate Web sites, peer-to-peer networks, and instant messaging. The iGuard feature includes a URL database that is checked for accuracy. 800-782-3762; www.stbernard.com
• Scantron
The Achievement Series and Performance Series are now available in a product suite that combines standards-based formative assessment and computer-adaptive diagnostic testing. Both products can also be purchased individually. 800-722-6876; www.scantron.com
• Scholastic
The Write It publishing home on www.scholastic.com offers instructional and motivational tools for writers in grades 7-12. The site includes lesson plans and workshops that let young writers exchange ideas and revise their work. 800-724-6527; www.scholastic.com/writeit
• SchoolFusion
Geared toward the K-12 market, the Web-based Content Management System allows teachers and administrators without technical knowledge to update their school's custom Web site. 303-446-0004; www.schoolfusion.com
• SchoolNet
New features in version 6.0 of the SchoolNet instructional management solution include improved curriculum management, the ability to create and administer a standards-aligned assessment program, and enhanced reporting capabilities. 212-645-0615; www.schoolnet.com
• SMART Technologies
The Airliner WS100 wireless slate can work with SMART Board interactive whiteboards and Sympodium interactive pen displays or independently with a computer and projector. The battery-free tethered pen allows users to control computer applications and write or draw in digital ink. 888-427-6278; www.smarttech.com
• Software MacKiev
Available for Mac and PC, the 3D Weather Globe and Atlas takes NASA maps and satellite photos and allows students to track weather patterns, geographical landmarks, cloud cover, and weather forecasts. 617-227-6681; www.mackiev.com
• STI
InformationNOW is a browser-based analysis tool that allows administrators to track trends such as attendance, disciplinary problems, and so on. 800-844-0884; www.sti-k12.com/NOW
• TetraData
The Analysis Suite provides data warehousing, analysis, and reporting functionality for K-12 districts. It allows users to manage data and measure and track progress toward learning benchmarks. 864-458-8243; www.tetradata.com
• Texas Instruments
The Navigator 2.0 wireless network combines TI graphing calculators and a desktop computer so that teachers can send and collect class lessons, activities, tests, and so on while monitoring student progress. 800-336-5236; www.ti.com
• Texthelp Systems
Designed for students with low proficiency in reading and comprehending English, Read&Write 7.1E Gold is a floating toolbar that appears in many mainstream Windows applications, such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, and Internet Explorer. The toolbar features 18 support tools that assist students with reading and writing tasks. 888-248-0652; www.texthelp.com
• Thinkronize
NetTrekker d.i. is an Internet search tool that provides more than 180,000 online resources that teachers can tailor toward each student's reading level. The search tool also has a dictionary/translation key that is designed to help ESL students. 877-517-1125; www.netTrekker.com
• Toshiba
The TDP-SW25U wireless projector features a lightweight design and allows users to store presentations on a PCMCIA type II storage card for "PC-free" presentations. www.toshiba.com
• TrueNorthLogic
TrueGuide, TrueAchieve, and TrueLife are product suites geared toward administrative management, teacher development, and student management and assessment. 866-422-6252; www.truenorthlogic.com
• Vantage Learning
MY Access! 6.0 lets students practice and rewrite essays online. Students can review each other's writing, learn new vocabulary words added by a teacher, and use interactive features that help them through the writing process. 800-322-0848; www.vantagelearning.com
• Vernier Software and Technology
Go!Motion is a motion detector that connects to a computer's USB port, and it includes a sensitivity switch, a pivoting head, and automatic temperature correction. It can also be used with graphing calculators made by Texas Instruments and Vernier. Let's Go! Elementary Science features 34 activities that allow students in grades 2-6 to explore topics such as temperature, light, electricity, and magnetism. 503-277-2299; www.vernier.com
