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Stuff I Like
by Gary Stager

Updated March 21, 2005

MicroWorlds EX - This latest generation of MicroWorlds software is built upon 40 years of worldwide Logo use. MicroWorlds EX grows with the learner and puts simulation building, video game design, robotics, multimedia publishing within reach of children. (Mac & PC)

LEGO RCX PROGRAMMABLE ROBOTICS MATERIALS - LEGO's groundbreaking programmable bricks bring mathematics, science and engineering to life through the construction and programming of interactive robotics. (Mac & PC)

TINKERPLOTS – A modern souped-up tool like Tabletop that allows users to visualize data in numerous ways. Dynamic data exploration is one way to make sense of the information age. (Mac & PC)

 

Tabletop & Tabletop Jr. - These classic software tools were developed for students and come complete with outstanding classroom activities. Tabletop and Tabletop Jr. is a database that allows users to visualize and manipulate data in concrete ways.(Mac & PC)

SWIKI– Rewritable web pages run on a free, simple, open-source server and allow instant web publishing and collaboration. http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/csl/9 (any platform)

iLife '05 (iMovie HD, iTunes 4, iDVD 5, Garageband 2 and iPhoto 5) - This suite of Apple software is simple-to-use and remarkably powerful in its ability to revolutionize digital communication. Don't forget to use iLife to document exceptional classroom practice and to tell learning stories. (Mac)

Keynote 2 and PAGES (now called iWork) - Just an excuse to avoid PowerPoint would be good enough reason to recommend this simple powerful presentation software. The easy-to-use templates make your ideas look as if you have an art department at your disposal. The ability to export your work as a QuickTime movie, PDF or PowerPoint file offers numerous opportunities for sharing your ideas. Be sure to search the web for additional free and low-cost Keynote templates. The new Pages word processor allows normal Joes and Janes to create gorgeous printed documents. (Mac)

iPhoto Library Manager - This handy utility allows iPhoto users to manage multiple photo libraries, even on different drives. It is a must if you have thousands of photos. (Mac)

Stickybrain - Use StickyBrain to store important information the moment you read it. Don't bother with copy/paste and the switching between applications rigamarole you normally go through. Simply press a pre-defined hot key or use the system-wide contextual menu to store your web receipt, password or article the second you see it. Store it while it's hot, and you'll have it when you need it. StickyBrain is like a search engine for your mind. Select a word or phrase in any application and StickyBrain will find your information in one click. (Mac)

Jotz - Like Stickybrain, Jotz serves my disorganized life. Jotz is a rich-media notepad that allows you to store text and even graphics in any number of notepads that are quickly searchable. Jotz is only $17.50 as download. (Mac)

SMARTSOUND MOVIE MAESTRO - This scaled-down version of the amazing SonicFire Pro software allows anyone to score a video and create a royalty-free professional sounding soundtrack for their digital production. (Mac & PC)

slick transitions and effects for imovie– GeeThree.com offers fantastic titles, transitions and effects for iMovie users. Virtix.com, stupendous-software.com and imovieplugins.com offer similar products. The Slick plug-ins are my current favorite iMovie add-ons. (Mac)

eZedia Plug-ins for iMovie - eZedia adds all sorts of functionality to the already impressive iMovie software. eZedia's plug-ins add the ability to use picture-in-picture, chroma-key (blue screen), video mattes and the ability to animate text, graphics, and movies over a DV clip. eZedia offers competitive education pricing/licensing. Geethree and Virtix offer terrific iMovie add-on packages as well. (Mac & some Windows)

Quicktime pro - For $29, the free QuickTime player becomes QuickTime Pro. The unlocked power of QuickTime is incredibly useful for converting media files between countless formats. You can even do quick-and-dirty audio/video editing in QuickTime Pro. (Mac & PC)

Soundsoap - This reasonably-priced software application makes it easy to remove annoying noise, interference and hum from your audio files or movies. (Mac and PC)

Sibelius - The most amazing music composition and notation software ever created. (Mac and PC)

finale notepad - Free music notation and composition tool usable by musicians of all ages. Pay $25 for the upgrade and give your students the ability to convert their "Notepad" files into MIDI for use in other projects.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 - This little brother of Photoshop packs more graphic punch than most mere mortals require at a fraction of the price of Photoshop. (Mac & PC)

dreamweaver and the macromedia mx 2004 suite - Dreamweaver is my web authoring tool of choice. Macromedia offers generous educational pricing for schools. (Mac & PC)

sorenson squeeze 4 - Sorenson makes the best codec (algorithm) for compressing video and audio files. Squeeze is simple utility that takes live or saved video clips and compresses the heck out of them. Choose the delivery formats you desire and Squeeze does the rest. Users may choose versions for compressing QuickTime, Flash, Real and MPEG 4 files. Education pricing is available. The new Squeeze gives Cleaner a run for it's money. (Mac & PC)

cleaner 6 - Cleaner will work with all sorts of audio, video and still graphic formats. Real, Windows Media and QuickTime are all supported and Cleaner's batch processing is a godsend. Organize your multimedia files, fire up Cleaner and come back Monday morning to compressed multimedia. (Mac & PC)

macromedia contribute 3 – The web authoring tool of choice for novices and users who want their work on the web quickly with less hassle. (Mac & PC)

WIRETAP - Wiretap is a free utility that enables you to record any sound coming through your Mac. In other words, you can record streaming radio and play it at a later time. This is incredibly handy for timeshifting and sharing radio clips with your students.

Safari - Apple's free quick web browser is terrific. The ability to perform a Google search within any web page is an obvious addition. (Mac)

Books I recommend may be found at http:///www.stager.org/books.html

Multimedia resources I recommend may be found at http://www.stager.org/imovie

Podcasting resources for students and teachers may be found at http://www.stager.org/podcasting

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