A CD-ROM Starter Shelf

A pro picks the 25 titles every school district should have

By Russell Smith

Russell Smith is an education technology consultant for the Region 14 Education Service Center in Abilene, Texas.

Overwhelmed by the number of educational CD-ROMs on the market? CD-ROM reference programs are fast becoming the tools of choice for research, education, and office work. Their rich graphics and videos are putting older hard-drive programs back on the shelf.

But CD-ROMs have other advantages, too. The software, often cross-platform so it can be used both on Macintoshes and on PCs running Windows, is read-only; it cannot be erased--or easily copied, which is, of course, illegal. And when a CD-ROM program is done well, its interactive nature forces students to think, reinforcing higher learning skills such as interpretation, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Not all CD-ROMs are done well, though. As an education technology consultant, I preview thousands of programs every year. I find a lot of CD-ROM junk that's often not any better, and sometimes is worse, than older hard-drive programs.

So how do you find the good stuff? The best way, I think, is to examine the programs yourself at a preview center. Most states and some large districts have technology centers where you can preview tapes and get help from experts. Texas, for instance, has 20 such centers; the one where I work serves 43 school districts. I tell administrators to send teachers and students on field trips to our center so they can try out the software. (The administrators are welcome to do the same, of course.)

Such an outing isn't always possible. So I recently took stock of what's on the market now, with an eye toward finding what I consider the best CD-ROMs available to schools serving grades K-12.

Most of my choices are--or soon will be--cross-platform, but you should check to make sure they are suited to your computers and curriculum. Check, too, about prices, which can vary according to when, how much, and what you buy. (School editions with teacher manuals and other extras can raise the price.) It pays to shop around. You might get a better price by going to a discount store or ordering from a discount vendor. (See the information at the end of this article for some of my favorite discount vendors.)

Here, then, are my personal picks--the 25 CD-ROMs I think every school district should have:

A.D.A.M.: The Inside Story--School Edition. A.D.A.M. Software. (800) 273-ADAM. A multimedia adventure into the human anatomy, this program is a must for science classes at any grade level.

Amazon Trail. MECC. (800) 685-6322. Some of the early historical programs in this social studies series were a bit too complicated for most students--and teachers, for that matter. (I've had more than one e-mail from a teacher stuck on Oregon Trail II and needing help in getting out of Independence, Mo.) But the Amazon Trail is just right in its complexity, and I highly recommend it for grades 5 through 7. MECC's Yukon Trail and new Africa Trail programs are also exceptional.

Ancient Lands. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. You can't find a better multimedia reference resource than this one for Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Animated characters guide students through a hypertext format that reveals the secrets of ancient times.

Bookshelf. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. Not many reference disks have the full range of resources you'll find on this one, which includes a thesaurus, a dictionary, a collection of quotations, and more.

Dangerous Creatures. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. Most animal CD-ROMs consist of little more than lame videos, but not this one. Much like Ancient Lands with its hypertext and animated guides, this program covers all sorts of strange and dangerous creatures.

Dinosaurs. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. There are plenty of CDs on the market about dinosaurs, but Microsoft's version is head and shoulders above the rest. Not only is it user-friendly, but the articles are well-researched and readable.

Encarta. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. This electronic encyclopedia, along with Grolier's, is fast replacing school purchases of hardbound copies. The reason: outstanding articles, sounds, pictures, and video clips. I'd recommend buying both Encarta and Grolier's if your budget allows.

Encarta World Atlas. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. Designed to run on Windows 95, this multimedia atlas is a good way to learn about other cultures as well as geography. Video clips of families around the world, plus the ability to navigate around the computer globe, make this program exceptional.

Grammar Games. Davidson and Associates Inc. (800) 545-7677. Using a rainforest as the central theme for all units, this is an engaging way for students in grades 4 through 7 to learn punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling.

Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc. (203) 797-3500. This should be a fixture in any modern school library. The information is current, the animations and video sequences are outstanding, and the search and print features are fast and easy.

History of the World. DK Publishing Inc. (800) 356-6575. This history reference disk has extensive pictures, articles, and animation (50 video clips). Bonus: a quiz game for one or two players.

Kid Phonics. Davidson and Associates Inc. (800) 545-7677. Many phonics programs are just "drill and kill," but not this one. Easy to use and full of colorful graphics, this top-notch program develops key reading and vocabulary skills for pre-kindergarten through first grade.

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Version 4. Mindscape Inc. (800) 283-8499. Some typing programs are too game-oriented, but this one--Version 4 of the world's best-selling typing program, designed for students in grades 3 through 12--combines just the right amount of business and pleasure.

Microsoft Office. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. This package--which includes Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, Powerpoint for group presentations, and Microsoft Publisher for desktop publishing--sets the standard for office software.

Millie's Math House. Edmark Corp. (800) 320-8380. Six fun-filled activities involving Millie the cow help pre-kindergartners through second-graders learn basic math skills that include matching, counting, relationship, and problem-solving.

Musical Instruments. Microsoft Corp. (800) 426-9400. This is an excellent resource disk for social studies, band, and music students, who can enjoy the sights and sounds of instruments from around the world.

The Print Shop Deluxe Ensemble II. Broderbund Software Inc. (800) 521-6263. Windows only. Probably the most beloved (and most pirated) programs in the history of computer software, the Print Shop series has reached a new height in Ensemble II, which is perfect for new color inkjet printers. Don't settle for the older Ensemble version, and don't quibble about buying this program. Order it today.

Reader Rabbit's Interactive Reading Journey. The Learning Co. (800) 852-2255. This interactive reading and language arts program for grades K-1 allows pupils to progress through 40 multimedia storybooks while teachers control the level of individual difficulty.

Rosetta Stone PowerPac. Fairfield Language Technologies. (800) 788-0822. The premier foreign language CD-ROM, this program teaches Spanish, French, Russian, Dutch, and German, as well as English as a second language. Lots of pictures and sounds supplement the text, and sequential lessons increase in difficulty.

Sammy's Science House. Edmark Corp. (800) 320-8380. This early science program (pre-K to second grade) offers fascinating activities that help students develop early science skills. The school version includes excellent lesson plans and activity sheets.

The San Diego Zoo Animals Version 2.0. Mindscape Inc. (800) 283-8499. The price has dropped on this excellent program, so there's no reason not to have it. Be sure to get the 2.0 version, which offers more than 60 minutes of 82 award-winning video clips along with many still pictures and articles.

Street Atlas U.S.A. DeLorme Mapping Co. (800) 452-5931. Before you set out for unfamiliar territory, check your directions on this top-selling map program that presents accurate street maps in a user-friendly fashion.

Thinkin' Things Collection 3. Edmark Corp. (800) 320-8380. This is a great program for developing critical thinking skills in grades 1 through 6. The varied format encourages artistic creativity, memory, visual and spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills.

Ultimate Human Body. DK Publishing Inc. (800) 356-6575. This interactive science program is a winner, featuring 100 animations and 45 minutes of audio. Appropriate for grades 2 through 12, it provides excellent explanations about virtually very aspect of the human body.

The Way Things Work. DK Publishing Inc. (800) 356-6575. This program is the best-kept secret of all CD-ROM programs. Based on the book by David Macauly, it provides funny and informative descriptions of over 200 inventions and should appeal to kids of all ages.

Where to find a bargain

The CD-ROM software market is extremely volatile right now--which means bargains are out there, either at discount stores or through mail-order vendors. Here are some of my favorites:

Computer Discount Warehouse
(800) 726-4239

CompUSA
(800) 266-7872

Computer City
(800) 843-2489

Insight
(800) 755-3938

MacWarehouse
(800) 255-6227

Most Significant Bits
(800) 755-4619

PC & Mac Connection
(800) 800-1111

PC Zone
(800) 258-2088

Tiger Software CD-ROM Buyers Guide
(800) 238-4437

World-Net Microsystems Inc.
(800) 659-4588