Cool Tools on the Web

Integrated Web System
Hot Chalk	This is a portal that provides professional resources for teachers as well as serving as learning management system. Check it out.
Web Resources
Brain Puzzles for Students	Links to a wide variety of web sites that can amuse students with puzzles and challenges to exercise their brains for mental fitness.
HomeworkNow	This live information service is provided free by the State Library of Ohio and local public libraries to answer reference questions and assist in finding information.
Laura Candler's File Cabinet	Laura Candler's online "file cabinet" is has 12 "drawers" of classroom activities that she shares with teachers. check out her holiday ideas and odds-n-ends.
Office Tips & Help for Teachers	This page links to more sites that offer assistance in the use of MS Word and PowerPoint for the classroom.
NoteStar	This online tool can be used to prepare research papers by allowing teachers and students to set up projects with topics and sub-topics. Students can collect and organize their notes and prepare their bibliography page.
QuizStar	You've got to love a tool that let's you create online quizzes, have your students take them online, and provides results. This is definitely worth a look!
RubiStar Rubric Maker	This tool has a tutorial as well as many other options if you are not familiar with the use of rubrics. This is a free tool and does require registration for full use of features.
SMART Board Tutorials	This page has a number of quick tutorials for using a SMART board more effectively. Your computer must have Macromedia Flash player to play these.
TEACH-nology Rubric Maker	This site has a some free rubrics generators, but you will also see some advertising and extra windows when using the pages.
Ohio Treasure Chest	North Canton City Schools maintains a technology treasure chest, organized to match the objectives in the Ohio Academic Content Standards.
Teach-Ade	This online network/community for teachers has a resources, blogs, groups, and other connections for educators to assist each other.
Teacher Tools	Use this page as a springboard to other web resources designed to make classroom life easier.
What Color Eyes Will Your Children Have?	More the just romanticizing about offspring, this page uses genetics to calculate the possibilities for eye color.
Open Source Downloads
Avast! Anti-Virus	Of the many free anti-virus downloads available, this one has received great reviews and it's easy to use.
C-Cleaner	Use this quick utility to clean your computer system on a regular basis. It cleans up a ton of junk--you'll be amazed to see how much!
Free MacWare Downloads	Mac computers users can browse this site for many different kinds of software--all free and ready to go!
Gimp and GimpShop	These two applications are similar to PhotoShop and PhotoElements, both of which are used for photo editing and manipulation.
Nvu	Nvu is Web-authoring software that can be used with Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems
Open Office (v.2.3)	The productivity suite has many of the same applications--word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation-- as the Microsoft Office
NeoOffice	This is the Macintosh productivity suite based on Open Office with applications similar to those in Microsoft Office--word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation.
PDF Creator	Similar to Adobe Acrobat, this software creates PDF files from any other file. This would be the "printer" portion of the software.
PDF-to-Office Software	This is a limited 30-day trial of an excellent software application that will "unlock" PDF files to make them editable as MS Word documents.
Scribus	This is a publishing program creates newsletters, brochures, posters and other desktop project, much like Microsoft Publisher. Download and install Ghostscript prior to installing Scribus.
Web Applications
Sketchcast	Create a drawing, diagram, illustration or some other graphic design--with or without narration--and send the web link to access your work, or embed your work in your blog.
VoiceThread	VoiceThread is an online application that allows multiple users to have conversations--in many different formats--about some media (photos, PPTs, graphics, etc). Watch the demo.
Survey Monkey	A FREE online survey tool that allows up to 10 questions to be posted and accepts 100 responses.
Bubbl	This free, online application creates mind maps of brainstorming and ideas! You can share your work, save it as a graphic, or print it.
Zoomerang	This online survey tool provides limited FREE use, which may be all you need. Free use is limited to short term (10 days) for less than 100 responses.
Utilities
Belarc	This utility builds a detailed profile of your computers hardware and installed software along with fixes, patches and updates for systems. It's a lifesaver when reformatting a hard drive.
E-Zsoft DVD to iPod Converter	With all of the various video file formats available, this free downloadable software will allow you to convert files for use on your iPod.
How Secure Are You?	Browse this page for information about security issues and get links to free software that can help to make your Web experiences safer.
iTunes	This is a favorite for collecting and organizing podcasts. You don't even have to have a Mac or an iPod to enjoy the benefits of this software.
Universal Currency Converter	Help students--and potential travelers--understand foreign currencies, exchange rates, and the value of a dollar.
Wi-Fi Hot Spot Finder	Where can you connect to a free, wireless network? Type in a zip code and find hot spots anywhere.
Zamzar	Zamzar is a free, online, file conversion utility. You can either upload a file or convert from a URL!