Interactive Clock

Here is a resource that I just finished creating to help students explore how to read time on an analog clock. It allows the student to jump to a specific time or increment the time forward or backward by hours, minutes, or seconds.



You may integrate this into your website using the following html code:
<iframe frameborder="1" height="225" src="http://aschool.us/resources/clock.php?size=200" width="500"></iframe>

Please feel free to leave any questions, improvement suggestions, etc.. in the comments below.

Free Software for the Classroom Compilation

I'm working on making a compilation on a DVD of educational software that can enhance student learning and productivity. Here is a list of the programs that I'm planning on putting on the disc. Please feel free to add your suggestions. Many of the programs are open source while others are simply free.

Office/Desktop Publishing:

• Open Office (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.openoffice.org
  Create and edit office documents.
  
• Scribus (Win, Mac, Lin) http://scribus.net
  I've used this for creating yearbook, newsletters, brochures, and event programs.
  
• PDF Creator (Win) http://www.pdfforge.org
  Create a PDF file from any program that can print.

Graphics:

• Gimp (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.gimp.org
  Photo editor. I've used this program extensively for editing images from simple crops to image creation.
  
• Picasa (Win, Mac, Lin) http://picasa.google.com
  Photo album. Can be used to create basic video clips or slide shows. I used this extensively to organize the files for the yearbook this past year and found the face recognize feature very useful.

Organizational:

• Xournal (Win, Lin) http://xournal.sourceforge.net
  Digital paper, can be use with a smart board or to annotate PDF files. For our daily grammar activities in class I would scan them to a PDF and then my students or myself would mark them up using a Wacom Bamboo pad as students called out corrections.
  
• FreeMind (Win, Lin, Mac) http://freemind.sourceforge.net
  Concept/Mind-mapping software. Students used this extensively to create study guides. Very quick and easy to use.
  
• Dia (Win, Mac, Lin) http://dia-installer.de
  Create diagrams and flow charts. I used this more in the past but it is still a good piece of software.

Audio/Music/Video:

• VLC (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.videolan.org/vlc
  Plays most any audio or video file.
  
• Audacity (Win, Mac, Lin) http://audacity.sourceforge.net
  Sound file editor/recorder. I've used this program extensively when creating my online spelling tests. Both the Windows and the Linux versions.
  
• MuScore (Win, Mac, Lin) http://musescore.org
  Musical score editor. I have not used this very much yet but plan on using it in the classroom this next year.
  
• OpenShot (Lin) http://www.openshotvideo.com
  Video editor. I just started using this program this last spring and am very impress with its offerings.

Science:

• Celestia (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.shatters.net/celestia/
  Allows you to explore space from your desktop
  
• West Point Bridge Building Software (Win, Mac) http://bridgecontest.usma.edu
  Bring the engineering lab to your classroom. This software allows you to build and test bridges within the confines of your classroom.
  
• Google Earth (Win, Mac, Lin) http://google.com/earth
  Explore the world. Note: Internet connection required.
  
• Online Interactive Science Simulations (Win, Mac, Lin) http://phet.colorado.edu
  Excellent science lab activities that can be done and manipulated on the computer.

Internet:

• Google Chrome (Win, Lin) http://google.com/chrome
  Alternate web browser.
  
• FireFox (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.mozilla.org
  Alternate web browser
  
• Thunderbird (Win, Lin) http://www.mozilla.org
  Email client
  
• FileZilla (Win, Mac, Lin) http://filezilla-project.org
  Transfer files to a server using FTP, SFTP, or SCP.
  
• WinSCP (Win) http://winscp.net/eng/index.php
  WinSCP allows you to securely copy to a server Linux or other SSH/SFTP server .
  
• Putty (Win) http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty
  Allows secure communication and tunneling with an SSH server.

Misc:

• Word Search Creator (Win, Lin) http://wordsearchcreator.org
  Create word searches that can be printed.
  
• Hot Potatoes (Win, Mac, Lin) http://hotpot.uvic.ca
  Create a several different electronic activities such as word sorts, crossword puzzles, matching, and multiple choice activities.
  
• GnuCash (Win, Mac, Lin) http://www.gnucash.org
  Persona/Business accounting software. I have not yet integrated this into my classroom but I'm working on it and see that it has some great potential.

Computer Maintenance:

• CCleaner (Win, Mac) http://www.piriform.com/products