Some educational software is designed for use in school classrooms. Typically such software may be projected onto a large whiteboard at the front of the class and/or run simultaneously on a network of desktop computers in a classroom. This type of software is often called classroom management software. While teachers often choose to use educational software from other categories in their IT suites (e.g. reference works, children’s software), a whole category of educational software has grown up specifically intended to assist classroom teaching

A computer would be meaningless without software. Software is what brings the computer to life. Software is the name given to computer programs that are written to instruct the computer how to do something. Computer hardware alone is not useful to the average person. Even the operating system (e.g., Windows, Mac OS, Linux) is considered to be software, so the most basic of computers that can be bought will be a package of hardware and software.

This main software that every computer uses is called the operating system. The operating system controls the computer and allows the user to perform actions, such as opening various software programs (e.g., MS Word) and helping the computer communicate with hardware attached to the computer (e.g., printers, scanners, monitors). This chapter focuses on software that can be found in a typical school setting

t is no surprise that technology is expanding every minute of every day. That would mean it should not be surprising that computers are becoming part of an everyday classroom. Middle Schools and High Schools have been using computers in a certain classes for years, but is it expected that children in kindergarten through 5th grade will be using computers also? It seems strange to think those children 11 and under are using a computer in the classroom on a daily basis. Yet it is true. Children in Elementary School are learning basic computer skill and putting them to work in order to learn things.

The Good: Sharing Knowledge  Many young students have a talent for programing; they are fascinated with computers and eager to learn how their systems work. With proprietary software, this information is a secret so teachers have no way of making it available to their students. But if it is Free Software, the teacher can explain the basic subject and then hand out the source code for the student to read and learn, and Tools. Teachers can hand out to students copies of the programs they use in the classroom so that they can use them at home. With Free Software, copying is not only authorized, it is encouraged.

2.         The Bad: Not everyone feels good about computer use in the classroom. People do feel that the computer can be used as a learning tool. They also feel that the computer should not be the only thing used. Teachers should not only use the computer

3.         The Bottom Line: Stable, secure and easily installed Free Software solutions are available for education already. In any case, excellence of performance is a secondary benefit; the ultimate goal is freedom for computer users.

4.         Give it a rating from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent): 4