Classroom Software

The following is a list of links that the PRISM team recommends for teachers looking for useful (free) software to use in the classroom. This list may be updated frequently, so check back often for new listings.


Multiplatform (Apple Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows)

Astronomy

• Celestia - Free, space simulation software
  
• Stellarium - A free open source planetarium for your computer.

Concept Mapping Tools

• IHMC CmapTools - Empowers users to construct, navigate, share, and criticize knowledge models represented as Concept Maps.

Email Accounts

• Gmail - Google-owned, web-based email service that includes over 5 gigabytes of storage (and growing).
• Yahoo! Mail - A web-based email service by Yahoo!
  

Email Client

• Thunderbird - A free, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Corporation.

File Archiver

• 7-Zip - A file archiver with a high compression ratio.

Fonts

• 1001 Free Fonts - Alphabetically and categorically organized free fonts.
  

HTML Editors

• KompoZer - A WYSIWYG HTML Editor based on Nvu. It is maintained by a community-driven fork and is a project on Sourceforge.
• Nvu - A WYSIWYG HTML Editor, based on the Composer component of Mozilla Application Suite and Gecko 1.7.

Image Editing

• GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.
• Inkscape - An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw, or Xara X using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format.
• Picasa - A computer application for organizing and editing photos (Linux and Windows only).
  

Math

• Fraction Calc - FractionCalc will perform standard operations on fractions, improper fractions, or mixed numbers. The interface is designed to be in a similar format to the way fractions are taught in school.

Microsoft Office Alternatives

• OpenOffice.org - A multiplatform, multilangual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute.

TeX Editors

• GNU TeXmacs - A free WYSIWYW (what you see is what you want) editing platform with special features for scientists.
• Texmaker - A free LaTeX editor, that integrates many tools needed to develop documents with LaTeX, in just one application.

Apple Mac OS X

Calendar

• Mom's Calendar - An excellent, freeware that provides a simple printable calendar
• Pando Calendar - A freeware program that places a customizable calendar on your desktop.

Math

• GridX - A math game in which players race the clock trying to fill a 1-100 number grid by applying any combination of the four basic operations to three numbers displayed.

Microsoft Office Alternatives

• NeoOffice - NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Other

• Bibliographer - An application that generates bibliographies in standard MLA format.
• Smell-O-Mints - A Periodic Table for Macintosh.
  
• Unscrambler - An application that will unscramble those scrambled word assignments you lost the answer key for!
  

TeX Editors

• TeX FoG - A tool that helps TeX and LaTeX users type equations without the need to remember all the commands.

Text Editors

• TextWrangler2 - A freeware text editor from Bare Bones Software, the makers of BBEdit.

Microsoft Windows

Calculators

• ESBCalc - A freeware Scientific Calculator for Windows.
• ESBUnitConv - A free user-friendly Windows utility to easily convert between units of measurement.

HTML Editors

• AceHTML - A powerful, free HTML editor.

Image Editing

• Paint.NET - A free image and photo editing program for Windows.

PDF Creation

• PDFCreator - Easily create PDF files from any Windows program.
  

TeX Editors

• TEXaide - A special, free version of Design Science's Equation Editor that generates TeX and LaTeX to the Windows clipboard. Works with Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, NT, and XP