helpful programs

    for the first half of this semester I learned about many new tools that Im sure I will find helpful in the future.
I really like xtranormal and go animate. I also found prezi to be an exciting alternative to powerpoint. However, I did find it frustrating that some of the sites seem to be rigid up so that you almost need to purchase credits if you plan on using the site more than once. Maybe its just me, but if I dont know what something can do for me I have a tough time justifying spending money on it, and I am getting tired of signing up for on line programs that can only do one or two things and can only be used once without paying. I already have more user names and passwords than I care to remember.
 
 I had a similar problem with Adobe photoshop, It took me almost the length of the trial period to figure out how to use the program, and I was only scratching the surface of what it could do for me. The cost of photoshop is $700 dollars and up depending on the version you want. I dont have $700 to spend on something I dont know how to use. I know that for many of the programs like Adobe photoshop I can go on line and find thousands of helpful tutorials and forums that will tell me how to use it. The problem is that many of the online help sites often offer anonymous advice on how to get these programs for free (aka stealing). As it stands right now, I am learning how to use these programs from the same places that are also telling me how to steal them. This puts me at a crossroads. I can get ahead by stealing and teaching myself how to use these very useful programs. Or I can fall behind by either spending money I dont have, or by denying myself access to tools that I know will help me in the future.  
  
I think that if schools really want to teach good digital citizenship, they need to start  offering courses that help students learn the potential of these programs before students have to buy them.