Using Free Commercial Software for Curriculum Design

Social Networking and Curriculum
While most schools are still hard-pressed to fund enough technology to provide universal access, Web-based environments are wiring teachers and students towards greater technological integration in the curriculum. In particular, my recent work with the innovative Shore Consulting group has shown me the dynamic value of connecting teachers with social networking environments that are secure, resource-rich, and education-friendly. Such applications will revolutionize the way teachers plan, design, deliver, and assess instruction. 

Software Criteria
I have always been fascinated by the possibility of using off-the-shelf web-based software in the classroom, particularly building it into versatile, differentiated curriculum design. I realize that for many educators, using commercial software is fraught with ideological caveats, but that’s what teachers are good at: sorting the pedagogical wheat from the chaff. 

So I will be regularly reporting on software finds that meet the following criteria:

• available for free or minimal cost
• accessible at home and school
• educationally relevant across disciplines
• value-added for teaching and learning
• practical and easy to use by both teachers and students
• pedagogically sound in scaffolding knowledge and skills

Mac App Store Free Apps 

Our first look is at the new Mac App Store’s free apps. I am currently playing with the following six apps and see their potential for the classroom. I invite teachers to comment on my suggestions and to use social networks in their school districts to widen the conversation. For PC users, treat this as an eventual paradigm shift, not as a platform-specific hassle. I have included product support websites as several of these applications are also available for PCs (e.g., Evernote and Kindle). Send me others that you have found. Please note that I have only included the Lite (free) versions of these apps; you may want to check out the paid deluxe versions for other situations.

• Evernote is an idea and file management system that allows you to save and synchronize web pages and clips, create lists, attach images and PDFs—all in one place—and share your own “memory” with others. You could integrate Evernote into a curriculum unit that requires recording research and class notes, analyzing saved webpages, and capturing new ideas for group work.

• iProcrastinate is a task management system. Its to-do lists, rich calendar, and integrated tasking (staring, updating, and reminders) are designed into an attractive screen that can be customized by subject  or class (related groups of tasks) in educational settings.

• linesART is a fast way (instant!) to import any photo or image into a line art rendering. Students young and older can explore and experiment with such artistic and photographic components as intensity, exposure, saturation, contrast, and brightness. An interesting use for more adept art students would be to retranslate a linesART image into another medium.

• Kindle is the celebrated ebook interface to Amazon’s Kindle Store. While you will no doubt discourage purchase of best sellers on your school credit card (!), there is plenty to learn and read from free books (e.g., copyright-free classics, special titles) which all students can access either at home or school. For more information about special titles and recommendations, check out the helpful eReaderIQ which provides a regularly updated list of all non-public domain freebies on Amazon.com. and a superior search engine than that on the Kindle store.

• MindNode is a basic graphic idea outliner. Ideas are entered as nodes. You create new nodes by hovering over a node and dragging the + sign or just pressing the plus sign to automatically a new node will be automatically created. When you create a new node, you can edit it right away. You can enter the edit mode anytime by double clicking the node. This app does not have the sophistication of Inspiration or Smart Ideas but in this case less is more.

• Smartr Lite is a learning tool and study aid that allows you to create “smart” flashcards, then to take a quiz on content while remembering past performance. The lite version restricts each user to make 100 cards in three formats question and answer, picture recognition or cue, and vocabulary. Students could have educational fun incorporating Smartr stacks in a presentation to engage listeners.