Instructional management programs are tools used by teachers to prepare for instruction and keep records. Some of these applications often used by teachers include gradebook programs or links to school, district, or state agency resources. Instructional software can also be used to supplement curriculum that does not use technology. These programs allow teachers and students to demonstrate concepts, perform simulations, and record and analyze data. Sometimes data base programs and spreadsheets are used within the instructional context to help analyze and present information.
Diskettes are thin, plastic flexible disks on which information can be stored magnetically.
The thin disk is placed in a harder plastic case that is inserted into a slot that contains a disk drive . The disk drive is used to read the information stored on the disk. Note that there can be different disk formats for different operating systems and that floppy disks may be used repeatedly. Information is also stored and read using CD-ROM or DVD disks. Because of their massive storage capacity, CD-ROMs and DVDs are also useful for storing large collections of data, such as complete encyclopedias.