Basically this program is an outline organizer.  It is really helpful to help design lesson plans and their outline.  It operates by basically using headings, subheadings, sub-topics etc...  To me, it feels like the way a natural talk should go:  main point, sub-point, descriptors, etc... Sometimes there are things in your lesson plan you write up that you just can't put into text, for example putting in equations or diagrams.  Working on the practicum I was using version 1.4 and it was pretty basic.  Now with 2.x you can attach drawings to items in the outline.  And they've also developed a PC based conduit program which converts the Palm files to files that you can see on your desktop.  This way you can do work away from home, briefly summarize, attach simple drawings, and when you get home you can bring it up and work on it a little more thoroughly with the computer.  Another improvement through the versions is the ability to print.  Before you’d have an option to export it to the memo pad program, from there you'd have to use the Palm Desktop software to just print off the simple text (worrying about formatting, the spacing of indents would be all wrong, etc...).  With the conduit program it will print off like it should, so the notes are easier to see and read back while in the classroom.  Overall, I would definitely recommend this program for teachers with Palms, as well as it can be used for other things that can be built on an outline (meetings, essays, tests...).  The developers have actually setup templates just for teachers (http://www.handshigh.com/html/tmteachers.html) & students (http://www.handshigh.com/html/tmstudents.html).  They cost $10 more than the standard program but it gives you the ability to download over 70 different outlines made specifically for teachers / students to work from.

Now this program is an absolute must for any teacher wanting to keep organized.  This program is much like the built in date book program except that it's segmented into the different times that you setup for periods, and you can assign the time periods for classes that you assign.  Then it builds a school day for you.  On the Palm you can enter info on the class for that day.  It has a limit of 100 words, so usually it's a small description of the topic going to be covered. This can be done for all the classes and really helps to set out the unit or whole school year.  For example, in my OAC class I taught, my associate teacher laid out that I had X number of hours for that unit and Y number of hours for the next one.  Using this program I could estimate out when all the tests should be.  I could then segment out between tests what should be taught, and line them up equally and chronologically (some play was allowed).  Now knowing what needs to be taught I could go a little more in detail and then even go into designing the specific lesson plans, or setting up when to do movies, or labs, or even when assignments will be handed out and collected.  Now it also has a Java based conduit program that will generate a calendar program so you can have a whole events calendar for either one class or all your classes.  This printout could serve to help keep you on task and on time for your lesson plans as well as it could possibly be handed out to students so they know what to expect when and where.  As a new teacher it's a little hard to set out the entire year or much further than a unit, so it's a sort of an organized-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type system.  I found I could keep myself up to ‘date’ for about 2 weeks in advance most times with the help of this program.  It was also really helpful when a student would say “I’m going to be away … what am I going to miss?”

Now this is a piece of software built more for the student than the teacher, but it could be used for all.  What it allows a user to do is to setup different classes, the time they're taught, who the teacher is, where it is, contact info for the teacher and other pertinent info (website, books etc...), as well as the marking scheme for the class (if necessary).  Then it also allows the user to enter in assignments and/or readings that have to be done, a description of the assignment, what it is out of, what percentage it is worth (or what type of assignment category it will fall into).  From entering these in the user can see a seven day week glance of all their work, or a chronological order of work due.  It integrates into the datebook program to give warnings and/or alarms when things are due (or coming due).  When work has been handed in it can be checked off and when marked a mark can be entered in and based on the info entered it can give you a report card on the classes.  There is also a java based desktop program now available free as well to help keep you organized away from your palm pilot.

Now this program looks pretty neat.  One of the ideas I wanted to do while I was in placement was go on a field trip.  I went on lots when I was in highschool.  My fear was making sure I got everything okayed; could I get a bus; etc…  This little program really takes the edge off.  Not that it does the work for you, just helps you get organized about all the little things a new teacher (or even older) may forget about.  It helps organize the students on who are going and who’s not.  It also helps with setting up chaperones, writing up permission slips and keeping on schedule.  At my next placement I’ll definitely have to give it a try (where can you go on a field trip for math….?).  The downside to this program is that it needs a separately loaded library program called “AppForge Booster” on the palm pilot.  This is a fairly large program (~600kb), and the Planner is also about 470kb.  On a 4MB system, that’s over 25% of the memory taken up, just for one program.  With my m505, I have an expansion slot that’ll hold up to an extra 64MB, though sometimes some programs won’t work across that divide.  We’ll have to just test it and see.

This little program is a handy database that will enable teachers to keep track of homework and or classwork and assignments given out.  It will organize it for across classes in terms of importance and/or date.  It also logs when the assignment was marked and handed back, so there is no fighting with students.  This seems a little small, and probably could use a few extra features, but small as it may be, it could prove invaluable as the year goes on.

This is again another database program that allows teachers to track just about anything that’s needed in a classroom.  There’s an attendance marker, an assignment tracker as well as a marks book type program that allows you to do weighting for a grade on any student.  There’s a student info database that tracks their performance on assignments, but also their contact information and any other type of generic info a teacher would like to keep.  It also has an exporter program which would convert the palm database file (pdb) to a spreadsheet list file (comma separated value – CSV) which can be used in Excel and printed off.  The best part about this program is that it’s relatively small.  The application file (prc) is only 94kb, though it doesn’t say how large it can get with a few classes in memory.

This is another variation of a teacher tracking program which enables teachers to keep on top of everything, and not have to worry about finding the right binder, or going to the office to get what is needed.  This one looks a little larger (300kb), but has a richer, graphical look (supports colour) and probably easier an easier feel for navigating (as close to GUI as you could get on a palm).  It supports the dreaded “rubric” and has a bar graph display for the marks of a class.  Also, it sports a password protection feature for those students who know what to do with palm pilots.  It also has an export feature so that PC spreadsheet programs can view the files and be printed off.  As well, there is a Mac or PC desktop version which synchronizes with each other (Teacher’s Desk from MediaX Systems Inc.), sold separately.

Now in the searching, I had found about 4 other programs that all looked good and useful.  I looked a little harder and found this program.  It’s a total of 6 useful programs all wrapped up into one!  And, it saves you apparently 40% over buying them all individually.  This was designed by teachers, FOR teachers.  It includes 2 log programs which allow teachers to log discipline and incidents, observations on behaviour on students which could help in terms of identifying students or reflecting on the class.  Both of which are handy when parent-teacher interviews come around.  It includes a simple lesson plan maker for classes which lets you get the main points set down.  It also carries a student database which contains all their contact info and it carries (which I could see as being pretty handy) a teacher tracker program.  The teacher tracker program allows you to keep track of teachers who you may want to get a hold of, and where they’ll be at different times of the day.  It also comes (if registered) with a program that allows you to print off reports for those principals who want written proof (PC only, no Mac… yet).  This is definitely one I’ll consider purchasing myself.