Interactive Periodic Tables

• Interactive Periodic Table of Elements (Adobe Flash not Required)
• Interactive Periodic Table (Adobe Flash Required)
  

Teleprompter

CuePrompter is a free teleprompter/autocue service. Your browser works like a teleprompter -no extra software needed.

Online Typing Tutors

• PowerTyping
  

Head to the Playground

WhizzBall is a great open ended puzzle game offered by the Discovery Kids web site. Try it out while your kids are watching. In a few minutes they will want to take control of the mouse.

Productive Play

Take OpenOffice for a spin if you need to do some word processing, prepare a presentation, build complex math equations, construct a diagram, work with lists and figures or store information in a database.

Use the word processor to prepare papers for submission to online classes. If the class requires Microsoft Word documents, you can save the document in Microsoft Word format. Spreadsheets can be saved in Excel format and presentations as PowerPoint files.

Use OpenOffice Writer with some free handwriting fonts to prepare customized handwriting practice sheets for your kids. You can teach your kids how to use the Draw package to create diagrams of their thoughts and ideas for a writing project. If they can get past the fun of adding shapes to the screen and connecting them together with "smart" connectors, they might start brainstorming.

Draw Freely

Inkscape falls into a category of programs commonly referred to as "draw" program. Review the Inkscape FAQ for details on the difference between "paint" programs and "draw" programs.

Use Inkscape to draw diagrams and flow charts. Kids can use the stamps library to create landscapes and crazy creatures.

Explore the Inkscape web site you to find examples of how this program can be used. You might find a link to the Open Clip Art Gallery.

Play with Sound

Audacity is an open source program that lets you play with sound.

Audacity installs easily on popular operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and desktop versions of Linux/Unix.

Use Audacity to record everything from the "ABC's" to noises you can hear through an open window. Produce audio stories or record short phrases and change the pitch or other aspects of the sound in creative ways.

Find a microphone, figure out what port to plug it into and start experimenting. Once you find the correct port, the sky is the limit.