Open Source Apps

An article by Darin Wagner    No Comments

This article was first published in the August issue of T.H.E. Journal, and I thought it might be of help to someone looking for some open source software:

THE APPS BUNDLED with Edubuntu are just the tip of the iceberg of open source programs for education. The open source apps used by Indiana’s Affordable Classroom Computers for Every Secondary Student program alone include:

Blender: (Also in Ubuntu.) A 3-D computer animation program. Supports modeling, animation, rendering, and playback.

Celestia: A simulation program that allows students and teachers to navigate a 3-D solar system.

Dia: A drawing program along the lines of Microsoft’s venerable Visio, but geared to more informal diagrams.

FreeMind: So-called mind-mapping software designed to allow teachers and students to brainstorm with diagrams that represent words, ideas, and tasks.

GIMP: The GNU (a recursive acronym for “GNU’s Not Unix”) Image Manipulation Program, a photo editing program.

GIMPshop: A modification of GIMP, intended to replicate the feel of Adobe Photoshop.

iFolder: An online personal file backup program. Designed to update saved files on a network server automatically and deliver them to the user’s other machines.

Inkscape: A vector graphics editor with capabilities similar to Adobe’s Illustrator and FreeHand, CorelDraw, or Xara X.

Intelligent Teaching and Learning With Computers (iTALC): A tool for viewing and controlling other computers in a network, showing demos, sending text messages, and locking individual work stations.

Moodle: An extremely popular course organization tool/virtual learning environment. During a recent webcast sponsored by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a spokesperson from Indiana’s Department of Education said that Moodle has been what is driving teachers to use technology in their classrooms.

The OpenScience Project: Software developed and maintained by a group of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to encourage a collaborative environment for exploration of the natural world.

Scribus: (Also in Ubuntu.) A popular desktop publishing program. Runs on Linux, Mac OS, OS/2, and Windows.

StarOffice: An enhanced version of OpenOffice from Sun Microsystems. Comes with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database capabilities.

Stellarium: A planetarium for the desktop. It shows a realistic sky in 3-D, and can be used with planetarium projectors.

Tux Paint: A preK-6 drawing program. Combines an easy-to-use interface, sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot.