There are a large amount of tools that focus on different content areas. It is up to the teacher to explore tools that are related to their own content area. When looking for good software for specific content areas, there are a few things to keep in mind. You want to be sure that the quality of the content is good, making sure there is enough content, that it is current and accurate, that it is free of bias, and that it is interactive. You also want to make sure that it is easy for students to use. Make sure that students can use the software without a lot of guidance, and if help is needed, there should be a help section. The software also needs to allow for teachers to keep records, as well as allow for setting difficulty level for students and for differentiation of instruction. There are several different content areas that are focused on in school.

Social Studies

The goal of social studies is to create an understanding of things that have happened in the past to create a better future. Teachers must create civic competence in the classroom. When it comes to social studies, there are three main skills that need to be worked on: fact resources, decision making and problem solving, and organizational resources. Teachers have a responsibility to choose factual and unbiased reading material for students, as well as teach them how to find this information for themselves. Teachers are also responsible for the student developing decision making and problem solving skills. A great way to strengthen these skills would be by using games such as Oregon Trail. Organizational software helps students to create timelines to see how events played out in history and to find the cause and effect of events.

Language Arts

Language art skills help students to develop their reading and writing skills. It helps with reading comprehension, phonics, spelling, grammar, and writing support. There is a lot of software that can help with these skills, such as interactive books and spelling games. Software like reader rabbit can help with phonics and students can get writing support from student blogs or a program called kidspiration. Make sure that all software is age appropriate for the classroom before picking it.

Science

When teaching science, teachers should strive to create environments that encourage students to be inquisitive. Choosing software that allows for this kind of environment is ideal. Most science software comes in the form of virtual labs and demonstrations. Things like disease simulator and cells alive can be engaging and educational. Teachers can encourage students to ask questions during and after the activity to help the students further understand what they are learning.

Mathematics

Mathematics is one of the most dreaded subjects among students. It is the teacher's job to not only help students have a deeper understanding of math, but for them to be able to relate math to real life situations. Students can use simulation software, calculation tools, modeling software, and problem solving applications to help learn different math concepts. There is also different software to practice skills learned, such as math arena and the learning equation.

Other Content Areas

There are other content areas, like physical education, music, and art, that can benefit from online software. You can find software to track physical fitness of students during gym class, or find music or art creator software for students to use. There are a lot of different programs that can be found and used for all of the different content areas.