Useful links

Tablet PCs are a mature technology. They have been on the market for almost a decade now. As a result, there is a wide range of resources available to teachers to help them take advantage of the Tablet’s capabilities and improve educational outcomes. This page will gather the best of these and make them available to you for future reference and use.

Resources

• Kids Corner - A great site for your students with fantastic tips and tricks, answers to all kinds of questions, kids’ courses and a secure place to connect with other students.
• Microsoft Australia Education Web Site - Solutions and products that Microsoft Australia offers for education, connecting you with resources to help you get the most from existing ICT investments.
• Microsoft Educators Web Site - Teacher guides, complimentary software applications and online resources as well as news and teacher blogs.
• Microsoft IT Academy - Subscribe your institution to comprehensive IT training, resources and Microsoft certification opportunities.
• Microsoft Partners in Learning Network - Join the global community of educators who value innovative uses of information and communication technology that improve learning outcomes. Collaborate with like-minded colleagues; participate in discussions and accessing lesson plans, tools and more.
• Microsoft TeacherTools - How to’s, templates, tutorials and lesson plans plus a teachers’ network where you can connect with others.
• Microsoft® Faculty Connection - Teacher guides, complimentary software applications and online resources as well as news and teacher blogs.
• Microsoft® Touch Pack for Windows® 7 - This site offers a collection of Microsoft games and applications for your multi-touch PCs and laptops running Windows 7 including Surface Globe, a program that you can use to explore the earth as a flat 2D or immersive 3D experience.
• Microsoft®Education Labs - Test out software prototypes designed specifically for the education sector by both community members and Microsoft product teams. It’s a great chance to provide feedback that will shape the technology of the future.

Applications

• Bing™ Maps
  This is a great way to make history or geography come to life. Simply select a location and explore cities at eye level and in 3D. Download Microsoft® Silverlight® for a richer experience.
• Kodu™
  Kodu is a new visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The programming environment runs on the Microsoft® Xbox® or PC, allowing rapid design iteration using a game controller (or keyboard) for input.
• Marvin
  A multimedia and animation tool that lets students create animated stories using avatars.
• Microsoft® AutoCollage
  Create photo collages with your students to use as posters, covers for projects or mementos of school outings. All they have to do is pick a folder, press a collage.
• Microsoft DreamSpark™
  DreamSpark is simple; it’s about giving students Microsoft professional tools at no charge.
• Microsoft Live™Labs Pivot
  Visit this site to see interesting ways of displaying information to inspire your students.
• Microsoft® Chemistry add-in
  Empowering students, teachers and chemists to easily author documents in the language of chemistry.
• Microsoft® Flashcards
  Flashcards is a Microsoft® Silverlight® Web application where you can create, share, and study online flashcards. Find a deck in the community, or create your own.
• Microsoft® InkSeine
  InkSeine is a prototype ink application from Microsoft Research. It is designed from the ground up to have a user interface uniquely tailored to pen input.
• Microsoft® Live Sync
  Sign up for this complimentary service that lets you synchronise files across your work computer, laptop, Mac® or PC and mobile phone so you always have the latest version handy.
• Microsoft® Mouse Mischief™
  Allows you to create Office PowerPoint® presentations that children can interact with in class using multiple mice.
• Microsoft® Photo Story
  An easy way for students to create multimedia presentations.
• Microsoft® Photography
  Find the tools and inspiration you need to make the most of your images.
• Microsoft® Photosynth™
  Students can reconstruct a scene or an object in 3D from photographs and publish it over the Internet.
• Microsoft® pptPlex
  This complimentary download* works with Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® to let you zoom in and out of slide sections and move directly between slides that are not sequential in your presentation.
• Microsoft® Ribbon Hero™
  A game for Office Word, PowerPoint, and Excel® 2007 and 2010, designed to help you or your students boost your Microsoft Office skills and knowledge in a fun way.
• Microsoft® SeaDragon
  SeaDragon allows you to zoom in and pan around any image on the Web. Just give us the URL to an image on the Web.
• Microsoft® Songsmith
  Songsmith generates musical accompaniment to match a singer’s voice. Just choose a musical style, sing into your PC’s microphone, and Songsmith will create backing music for you. Then share your songs online, or create your own music videos.
• Microsoft®Live@edu
  Complimentary hosted email, calendars, online work spaces, instant messaging and more for everyone in your school.
• Windows Live® Essentials beta
  Free beta versions of Microsoft programs for photos, movies, instant messaging, e‑mail, blogging and more. Get them all in one easy download*.
• Windows Live® Messenger
  Easily connect to other teachers via video, text or voice.
• Windows Live® Movie Maker
  A fast, easy way to turn photos and video clips into great-looking movies and slideshows that you can share with students, other faculty or on the Web.
• Windows Live® Photo Gallery
  This complimentary download* lets students load photos and videos from a camera to their PCs. They can also crop, recolour and retouch their photos and create impressive panoramics.
• Windows Live® SkyDrive
  25 GB of complimentary storage so your students don’t need a USB. Sign up using your Windows Live® ID
• Windows Live® Workspaces
  5 GB of complimentary online storage where you can share files.
• Windows Live® Writer
  A complimentary blogging tool for students. They can share comment, photos and videos on almost any blog service: Windows Live®, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, and many more.
• Windows Media® Center
  Turn a classroom PC into a TV, where you can play videos and music.
• Windows® PowerToys
  PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released to manufacturing. They’ll add fun and functionality to your Tablet PC experience.
• WorldWide Telescope
  This amazing virtual telescope brings together imagery from ground and space telescopes from around the world, so students can explore the galaxy, the solar system, the planets and their moons.