Examples of Freeware for Education
Game Maker
Hot Potatoes
From Half-Baked Software Inc, Hot Potatoes includes six applications to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for hosting on the web.
Math and Science
GeoGebra
This free software can be utilized in classrooms from elementary level through post-secondary level to reinforce ideas in areas such as dynamic geometry, algebra, and calculus. GeoGebra allows the user to do constructions involving points, lines, vectors, and conic sections to name a few. The dynamic features allow the user to alter functions and constructions with a click of the mouse. The software also features commands such as differentiation and integration. Another great feature of GeoGebra is the fact that materials can be found on both the GeoGebra website and YouTube to assist in teaching the user how to use the software.
How to Use GeoGebra
MathoMir
Math-o-mir is essentially a "mathematical notepad". It allows the user to write and edit mathematical equations with the click of a mouse. These equations can then be added to documents or webpages. Math-o-mir is free software which contains an embedded simple symbolic calculator allowing it to compute basic algebraic expressions. The Math-o-mir website features a user manual and instructional video which can be downloaded.
CrazyMath
CrazyMath allows users to enter sequences of expressions as they would write them on paper. 2D/3D equation function graphing / plotting. Syntax highlighting. Hex mode. 30+ built-in functions. 5 pages for parallel calculations. Ideal for daily use.
Coaster Creator
This free online game, featured on Curriki, allows the user to build a roller coaster while exploring kinetic and potential energy. The Curriki website for Coaster Creator provides teachers with a website where worksheets geared to supplement the activity can be printed. The website also features a tutorial discussing what roller coasters have to do with kinetic and potential energy. This tutorial can be downloaded.
ThatQuiz
Math test resource without games, ads or fees. Teachers can use it with their classes. Multiple choice tests and math tests can be administered to students. Grades can be immediately reported to the students. Teachers receive test results, including grades and wrong answers.
Language
FollowMovie 3.2.0
FollowMovie is freeware to improve foreign language skills using movies. Users can turn their favorite movies into learning materials. Highlight features include: study dialogue by dialogue; assign each dialogue a difficulty level, which can be used to skip easy lines, put emphasis on difficult ones; create MP3 file, users can study on the go; see both target and native language subtitles simultaneously.
Google Translate Desktop helps users fast translate any typed language into the one they want. With this powerful translation tool uses are able to write emails and documents in other languages, communicate with foreigners and read foreign articles easily. It works together with Outlook, Word, IE and Instant Message tools such as MSN, Skype, AIM, AOL, ICQ, etc. It also supports websites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Digg and BBS. Caution needs to be taken when using these types of programs as they do not produce exact or even good translations of all things.
Direct 3.05
Dicter - Google translate client - One click translation from / into 42 languages. Just select the text and press Ctrl + Alt key combination to get translation in a pop-up window. Language autodetection, 1 Mb installation package and great translation from the best translation service - Google Translate. See the warning above for Google Translate.
Wordle
Wordle is a fun application for students and teachers to create a word cloud. The word clouds can have different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images create can be used in any way. The application was created by Jonathan Fienberg who developed the code but did it while working at IBM. Because IBM owns the code, the code is not open, but they have allowed the application to be used by the general public. Fienberg also recommends Tagxedo which is a similar but more sophisticated type of word cloud generator. Either of these applications can be used as a way to see how words relate to each other. By inserting any paragraph from a document, the number of times certain words are repeated can be seen.
English and Reading
KarteiKasten 2.2
Flashcards is an easy to use vocabulary trainer. It works with the flashcards method with 5 boxes and it saves a statistic for each word. Words can also be categorized.
Sebran's ABC 1.40
This app allows children to become familiar with letters and numbers. Sebran's ABC's pictures, music, and gentle games teach letters, numbers, simple math, and rudiments of reading. Sebran runs in many languages including Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish.
Video Resources
NeoK12
Learning educational videos for K-12 embedded from sources like YouTube and Metacafe. Especially valuable for educators who have blocks on YouTube. Also includes lessons, quizzes, puzzles and interactive whiteboard resources for different subject areas.
General Examples of Freeware
Opera Offered free of charge for personal computers and mobile phones, Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software. Its purpose is to handle common Internet-related tasks at fast speeds such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, downloading files via Bit Torrent and reading web feeds. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_browser)
VLC
VideoLAN is a project and a non-profit organization, composed of volunteers, developing and promoting free multimedia solutions (http://www.videolan.org/) Their VLC media player (also known as VideoLAN Client) is a cross platform highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats ( MPEg, DivX, Xvid, Ogg, and many more) as well as DVDs, VCDs and various streaming protocols protocols. However in recent years it has also become a extremely powerful server to stream live and on demand video in several formats to our network and the Internet.(Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLC_media_player).
MPlayer
MPlayer is a free media player. The program is available for all major operation systems including Linux, and other Unix-loke systems, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Versions for OS/3, Syllable, AmigaOS, and MorphOS are also available. (Wikpedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPlayer)
Nestopia
Nestopia is a Nintendo NES emulator for Mac OS X. Nestopia is by far the most compatible of any NES emulator for Mac OS X. Using cycle-exact emulation, it is able to run titles that rely on precise timing, and which therefore break under other emulators. It supports five extra sound chips and an astonishing 143 mappers.
Kega Fusion
Kega Fusion is a multi-console emulator created by Steve Snake and supporting most of the Sega consoles, including the GameGear, Genesis, Master System, Sega 32X, Sega CD, Sega Pico, SG-1000, SG-3000 and SF-7000. Kega Fusion is based on the earlier Kega emulator and its successor Kega Lazarus, both of which have been discontinued.
ImgBurn
ImgBurn is freeware that allows the recording of many file types for CD and DVD recordable media (.cue files are supported as of version 2.4.0.0). Starting with version 2.0.0.0, ImgBurn can also burn files and data directly to CD/DVD. It supports padding DVD-Video files so the layer break occurs on a proper cell boundary (where possible). One version 2.5.1.0, ImgBurn has become adware.
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia platform that is popular for adding animation and interactivity to web pages. Originally acquired by Macromedia, Flash was introduced in 1996, and is currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems.
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