News of the Latest Products and Technology for K-12
TitleWatch
by Kathie Felix, News Editor
TitleWatch lists recently-released
educational software and electronic media products that relate to the K-12
curriculum. This list is primarily but not exclusively comprised of CD-ROM
products; other electronic formats are noted in the text. Suggestions for
entries and press releases should be addressed to Kathie Felix,
5746 Union Mill Rd., PMB 605, Clifton, VA 20124 or kfelix@infotoday.com.
Language Arts The LeapFrog SchoolHouse Read-It-All series of high-interest,
low-level books for struggling readers in grades 3-5 now features a larger
content library with 12 interactive books plus extended Teacher Manuals
for each readability level. The manuals include lesson plans, projects,
writing activities, blackline masters, home connection letters, and specific
lessons for English language learners. Titles in the series include Awesome
Athletes, Wonderful Weird Work, It's a Mystery!, Amazing
Inventions, Nature's Fury, and Outdoor Adventures.
The interactive books are used with the multi-sensory Quantum Pad classroom
learning system for upper elementary students. The system's touch-and-talk
technology provides students with audio support that models the immediate
assistance that a teacher would provide. Packages and individual titles
are available. LeapFrog SchoolHouse, 800/883-7430 or http://www.LeapFrogSchoolHouse.com/.
Tools for Everyone
Corel has introduced three new education solution bundles. The Corel
Creative Pack offers a complete graphics toolkit with CorelDRAW
Graphics Suite 11, Corel Painter 8, Corel Bryce 5, Corel KPT Collection,
and Corel KnockOut 2. The Corel Graphics Pack features both
technical and graphics solutions with Corel DESIGNER 10, Corel Painter
8, Corel Ventura 10, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 11, Corel Bryce 5, Corel
KnockOut 2, and Corel KPT Collection. The Corel Photo Enhancement
Pack includes Corel KnockOut 2, Corel KPT Collection, and Corel
Painter 8. The education packs feature access to additional services
at no charge, including training CDs, tutorials, demos, and technical
support options. Corel Creative Pack—$109. Corel Graphics Pack—$179.
Corel Photo Enhancement Pack—$85. Corel Corporation, http://www.corel.com/education/.
The Macromedia Studio MX 2004 K-12 site license solution features Macromedia
Studio MX 2004 software, new curriculum, teacher training, and
teacher take-home rights. Studio MX 2004 allows users to build Web
sites and applications with Dreamweaver, create interactive content
and applications with Macromedia Flash, generate and optimize Web graphics
with Fireworks, and incorporate vector graphics with FreeHand. The
site license solution offers Studio MX 2004 software for Mac and Windows
for use throughout the school, project-based teaching curriculum to
integrate Macromedia tools into academic subjects, and online training
from Macromedia University. New features include software home-use
rights for teachers and two additional curriculum projects: Digital
Narrative for Flash MX 2004 and Build a Town Web site for Dreamweaver
MX 2004. Studio MX K-12 Site License Solution pricing: $2,500—schools
with 500 students or less. $3,500—schools with 500 students or
more. $199—single copy price for qualified educators and students. Macromedia,
http://www.macromedia.com/education/.
Maxon Cinema 4D R8 modeling, animation, and rendering software
provides the tools necessary for most day-to-day 3-D tasks, from simple
logos to complex visuals. The software—used for music video, film,
and television projects—is updated regularly at no cost. The latest
free update includes more than 24 interface and workflow improvements.
Among them, the materials manager has been improved with more efficient
organization of complex projects by consolidating materials into groups.
Related materials used throughout a scene are available at the push of
a button. More screen real estate can be saved by choosing from several
display modes, such as icon lists, name lists, or both. The menus and
layouts can be recorded
as customized sets and switched whenever necessary. Up to five mouse buttons,
including the middle mouse button, can be assigned to functions. The software
is priced at $595 for Mac or Windows versions. Handbooks are available from
$44.95. A free demo version is available online. The company's BodyPaint
3D image creation and manipulation tool allows users to texture a virtual
face or animal, panel a spaceship, grain a piece of wood, grow moss on a pile
of stones, and more. Pricing begins at $645; free updates are available. MAXON
Computer, http://www.maxon.net/.
Teacher Tools
The CD Workshop: PowerPoint 2000 for Teachers provides step-by-step
video tutorials showing how to create slide shows, add pictures and text,
animate text, and build Web links. The CD also offers tutorials for specific
projects, such as creating flash cards and other study aids, helping
students package creative writing projects such as interactive books,
and developing self-running open house slide shows and electronic portfolios
of student achievement. The disc includes sample files from the tutorials
that can be adapted to fit individual situations and discussions of how
the tutorials align with the National Educational Technology Standards
(NETS). This is the second title in a series from the South Carolina
Center of Excellence for Instructional Technology Training at Clemson
University. A sample of the CD can be viewed online at http://itcenter.clemson.edu/iste/teacher/.
$44.95—single copy, International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE) members. $49.95—single copy, non-members. ISTE, 800/336-5191
or http://www.iste.org/.
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