The article on the top 100 Toolbox items were a very comprehensive list, and I hope that many of us are now putting them to good use.  I went back and thought about some of the tools that I use that make my life easier as a teacher, and here are mine.

CutePDF Writer:  http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

On this page, you will also see a link to install the Ghostscript 8.15.  You will want to do that, too.  What this program does is gives you a virtual printer and creates pdf files from any program.  I use it with my TestGenerator software because I can have the software generate multiple versions of the test, but if I sent it to a regular printer, it would print the test, answer key, Kentucky state standards, etc.  A six page test results in twelve pages of print.  By creating the pdf file, I then go in a choose only the test pages and the answer key, and I can pick the version of the test to give the student, which is great for eliminating cheating and for makeup tests.  You can use it to make a backup copy of your STI gradebook, too.  The system requirements are minimal.

The second tool I use is Adobe Acrobat Professional, although I am looking for something better. I use its graphic capture tool to clip pdf documents and use them in PowerPoints (like review games for tests).   The images don’t always clip well, and tend to be fuzzy when enlarged.  If someone has a screen capture tool that you like, please post and let me know.

Coming from a computer background, I still highly recommend system utilities like backup, disk defragmenter, scandisk, regclean, ccleaner, spybot, adaware, to keep your hard drive free of trouble. 

For CCleaner, you can also use it to uninstall a program that won’t show up in your Add/Remove programs, it gets rid of temporary internet files, and basically “crap”.  The website for it is: http://www.ccleaner.com/

Spybot Search and Destroy and Adaware take care of the spyware which slows down your system.

Spybot is located at http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10122137.html  This is the most recent copy I could find.

Adaware will find things that Spybot misses.  You can download it at:

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2007/3000-8022_4-10731194.html?tag=lst-0-1

I use www.download.com for getting freeware or shareware because their download sites have proven reliable to me over the years.