Resources

The following downloads are available from web sites that are divided into two sections. The first section Classroom Resources contains downloadable educational software which is either shareware or is free to use for a limited evaluation period. The second section ICT Resources & Utilities contains links to free or evaluation copies of useful computer utilities and applications. Please check conditions of use and necessary computer operating system and memory requirements/compatibility before downloading any of these resources. Many of these sites also contain software which can be purchased .Monaghan Education Centre does not accept responsibility for any computer problems that may occur as a result of the installation and/or the use of any of the following downloads.

Classroom Resources

Primary Puzzles, Brainteasers, IQ Tests etc Links to some excellent puzzle makers, on-line brainteasers, on-line IQ tests and much more.	Who Wants to be a Millionaire PowerPoint Quiz Maker You will need Winzip to extract this PowerPoint & associated files. Users should read the "read me" file before using this quizmaker.
Flix Productions Animated Educational Software Animated Beginning Phonics; Animated Alphabet etc Free evaluation versions with no time limits.	European Geography Tutor Download and use World Geography Tutor for 15 days, the map and quiz for Europe will remain functional permanently
Weather Tracking This excellent Excel format resource allows students to keep a daily log of weather conditions and temperature. It will also automatically calculate average monthly temperatures, produce monthly and annual weather conditions bar charts.	Facetoon Art Programme Have fun decorating an apple, pear or orange with a variety of zany animated accessories.
Help Read HELP Read is free software that reads along with you while you do the reading.	Hot Potatoes The Hot Potatoes suite is a set of six authoring tools, which enable you to create interactive exercises of six basic types. Language teachers may find this programme particularly useful.
Free Resource Creation Software Including Basic Facts Worksheet Factory, Basic Facts Bingo and Word Search Factory Lite	Creative Digital Ideas in the Classroom This pdf document contains fifty-two excellent ideas for using a digital camera or scanner in the classroom.
Robot Challenge A free downloadable game.	Sebran ABC Sebran's ABC's colorful pictures and pleasant music teach letters, numbers, simple math, and rudiments of reading.
Sight Words Flash Card Activity with Built-in Recording	Our Solar System A journey through the solar system. You can stop the action and choose which planet you wish to view and learn more about.
Vocabulary Recognition and Spelling Test This programme is designed to aid special needs and early learning reading skills.	Times Tables Drag and Drop - learning aid for use in special needs education. Covers Tables from 2 to 12.
Learn Letters, Sounds, Blends Free software that teaches the names and shapes of the letters of the alphabet and a free interactive phonics program.	Kid's Typing Skills Practice with keyboard drills, character drills, and word drills. Take timed tests to determine and improve your typing speed.
Scoilnet: Interactive Resources for Infants Teachers This document outlines links to numerous interactive resources collated and available on Scoilnet for teachers of infants.	Google Earth - 11mb Download this free utility that enables teachers and students to combine satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. (Windows only)
	Primary Maths Exercises Self correcting addition, subtraction, multiplication and simple division spreadsheet in Excel format.

ICT Resources & Utilities

Official NCTE Broadband Service Desk Speed Test Document	Latest Broadband Packages & Prices This department of Marine & Communications web site helps you to search for & evaluate the best broadband service in your home area.
Irish Broadband Speed Test (Scroll to the bottom of the page for free unregistered use) Test the speed of your new broadband internet connection here on this web site.	Beeline Bandwidth Test Test your internet download speed with this on-line test.
Get Adobe Reader - For Opening PDF Documents Many documents on this and other web sites require Adobe Reader to open them. This link takes you to the Adobe site where you can download the free reader.	Winzip - Utility for Zipping/Unzipping Files The evaluation copy of this useful utility allows you to compress large files for emailing and to automatically open compressed files that are sent to you.
Computer Virus Guidelines & Removal / Repair Tools This PDF document offers practical guidelines for the management of potential computer viruses sent to your computer and many useful links.	Free On-line Virus Scanners & Additional Virus Information If you think your computer has a virus you can utilize these free on-line virus scanners to scan your computer. Additional links to virus information and removal tools are provided.
Tucows Downloads Free & trial downloads of software and computer utilities for Windows, Macintosh & Linux platforms.	Download.com Free & trial downloads of firewall software, spyware remover, drivers, mobile computing utilities, desktop enhancements, chat and pop up blockers etc.
Security SetUp 2 - Light This evaluation utility for Windows allows teachers to lock the computer's desktop settings preventing students from changing printer, internet, modem, network and screen saver settings etc.	Winlock Limits access to your computer.You can control how long others can use your computer and locks Windows Desktop.It also lets you deny access to selected files, applications, and Explorer windows (Control Panel, My Computer, etc.), floppy and hard drives, and Start menu items.When enabled, there is no way around it without the proper password. Free 30 day trial.
Microsoft Licensing for Irish Education Full details of all academic licensing, pricing and resellers of all Microsoft desktop and server products.	Apple Store (Ireland) Purchase the all Mac hardware, software and accessories on-line at the Irish store.
Windows Operating System Update Visit this site to scan your Windows operating system for vulnerabilities and install critical security updates etc.	Apple Operating Systems Updates Visit this site to install the latest updates for your Apple operating system.
Microsoft Office Updates Visit this site to have your Office software checked for application updates and security patches. You can also view the FAQs and top tips sections.	Appleworks Support Visit this site to learn more about your Appleworks applications, for troubleshooting information and software updates.
NCTE ICT Advice & Support Advice sheets, ICT Advisor Network, The Internet, Technology Integration and Internet Safety sections.	BECTA ICT Advice for Teachers in Britain Sections include teaching & learning, administration & policies, technology, ask an expert & new to computers.
How Stuff Works A site dedicated to explaining how computer hardware,software and peripherals work.	PC Live Magazine On-Line Read all the latest news on technology from PC Live including an Irish Education section.
Mail2Web Pick up your email from any computer anywhere in world. All you need is your email address and password. This service is currently free.	Mailstart Check your email once a week for free here.
Windows Networking View the latest Windows Networking articles and tutorials including information on network hardware etc.	Technet Top resources for IT Pros
System Specification Utility - 1.63mb Download and run this utility to find out the specification of your Windows computer including processor, memory, display, software etc. Read full details of Windows OS compatibility on website.	Skype User Guide Download the free web conferencing software Skype and the Skype user guide above (Word format).
Keep Your PC Healthy This document provides links to PC security, malicious software removal tools, anti-spyware utilities and Windows XP tips.	Free Photo Editing Software Links to some of best free photo editing software on the web. From basic software to professional packages.