Free Office Suite substitutes

Several of you asked about programs that could be used instead of MicroSoft office products, programs similar to Word, Excel, & Power Point. There are several that you can check.
Wordprocessors are:
Writely http://writely.com
Abiword http://abisource.com

Excel http://irows.com

Power Point presentation program - Microsoft free downloadable program called Photo Story 3
Use with MS XP operating system. http://www.microsoft.com/windowxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

There are a number of other online or downloadable programs. Search for: wordprocessing free online OR "Office Suite" free online.

Typing for Kids/ Translate a Site

I promised to find the typing program for kids that is published by the BBC. It is called Dance Mat Typing, and can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/about/

Another tool that you might find useful is a translator called Babelfish. You can type text in and translate, or translate an Internet site into another language. It is accessible at the Alta Vista search engine, or you can connect directly at:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com

Try these. You'll like them. Mary

Graphic Novels

Today's Tribune (Saturday) has an article on Graphic Novels. Graphic novels are what used to be called comic books. They're being published again at all levels of sophistication and for all ages. A lot of them are of dubious quality, but some are very innovative and rival other literary genres.
If you know nothing about graphic novels, take a look at the article in the Trib, or ask your librarian to show you a few. If you have students who are reluctant readers, learning English or have learning problems, consider using them where they might serve a purpose. Make sure you preview and choose only those that are appropriate. Many are not! My home page lists several sites that provide reviews and resources. Go to: http://theteachersnet.org/reading.htm
Click on the GRAPHIC NOVEL link. If you haven't read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. Hope you're having a great week-end. Mary

Virtual Libraries, etc.

I am getting comments -and that's great. Glad to hear that some of you are using the elementary sites with your own children. Your kids will tell you what works and what doesn't work.
I know all of you will be finding sites for your project. Don't forget to explore the two Virtual Library sites: Awesome Library http://www.awesomelibrary.org and
Homework Spot http://www.homeworkspot.com
Both of these sites allow you to choose grade levels in which to search.
To return to the search section of my home page and see the sites specifically for younger children, use this link: http://theteachersnet.org/search2.htm then click Search Sites for Kids box. Mary