Software Winners: Helping Educators Manage It All By Zach Miners January 2009

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Virus Protection, $79.99

The Norton 360 antivirus program protects against a wide array of threats, with features including automatic backup and restore, PC tuneup and network monitoring. This newest version now includes Symantec’s Browser Protection technology, which defends against drive-by downloads and other new or unknown threats that exploit vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. With advanced antivirus, antispyware, firewall, intrusion protection, and powerful SONAR behavioral detection technology, Norton 360 users are protected on multiple fronts from online threats. www.symantec.com

Math Intervention, Starting at $60

This math fact fluency program now offers enhanced reporting capabilities for teachers and administrators, including districtwide reporting and data export through the Scholastic Achievement Manager. The system’s dashboard supports data-driven instruction and AYP accountability requirements. For students in second grade or higher, the program provides an improved experience with more games and downloadable worksheets for personalized practice. It also automatically differentiates instruction and practice based on each student’s individual fluency gaps in customized 10-minute daily sessions. www.tomsnyder.com

Virtualization Program, $79.99

VMware’s Fusion virtualization program enables Mac users to run PC applications seamlessly side-by-side with Mac applications. Users can easily find, launch and run PC applications with Fusion’s Unity and Expose functions, and minimize each program to the Mac OS X Dock when not in use. Fusion also enables the creation of Windows-based virtual machines that complement Apple’s Boot Camp partition, of which the Snapshots function can store copies as a backup in the event of a system crash. www.vmware.com

Math Intervention, $30 per student pack

Voyager’s math intervention program provides struggling students in grades 3-8 with 30-40 minutes of targeted, systematic, daily instruction to bring them to grade-level proficiency and improve their outcomes on standardized tests. After identifying where students are struggling, it intervenes with explicit, scaffolded instruction and monitors progress until intervention is no longer needed. Teachers and administrators can also track student progress using VPORT, the company’s online data management system. www.voyagerlearning.com

Administrative Program, $10,000 and up

Weidenhammer’s alio is a scalable, complete software suite designed to run all district administrative tasks including payroll, human resources and finance management. Version 8.3 includes the same functionalities of previous versions that allow administrators to budget, monitor and control their finances, but this version is now fully Web-based, allowing 24/7 access via a secure browser. Weidenhammer’s ongoing training and support ensure that users’ needs and skills can evolve with future upgrades, and the annual Weidenhammer National Users Conference and local user group meetings ensure client knowledge is up-to-date. www.hammer.net

Assessment, Starting at $14 per student

Wireless Generation’s mCLASS:DIBELS is the handheld-to-Web version of DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). Teachers use mCLASS:DIBELS benchmarks to quickly identify at-risk students and to set individualized goals. After syncing the handheld device, teachers can view Web-based analysis of their students’ data online and receive tools for planning differentiated instruction, while administrators can track progress, review program effectiveness, and determine which resources and strategies will improve student performance. www.wirelessgeneration.com

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