Adobe's "Acrobat.com"

We've been using Google Docs (free) for quite some time now and it's been very good for us as an agency - easy to share files and collaborate. But it is certainly not very "pretty." We also use WebEx (not free) for online meetings/trainings. We've been happy with WebEx, although there is a set up that teachers have to be able to do on their desktop computer - but it's pretty simple.

Today I had a look at Adobe's new Acrobat.com site (still in beta, but free for now). It lacks the spreadsheet feature that we use a lot in Google Docs, but the word processing feature (dubbed "Buzzword") is gorgeous! The whole system allows you to share docs, collaborate, video conference and share your desktop very similar to WebEx, but you are connected to your documents at the same time. The whole thing is done in Flash, so it is wonderfully elegant and seems much peppier than Google Docs. One caveat though, you HAVE to be online, no offline option yet.

I'm excited about this new beta.... Not because it will replace what we currently use (for the moment at least), but because it will force the online developlers to take a hard look at creating a better end-user experience. I doubt it will be free for long, but it appears to be a game changer....

You can log in with your existing Adobe username and password - I was up and running in seconds. Did I say the user interface is elegant? More of what we Mac users have come to expect...

Google SketchUp Teacher's Guide

Have you downloaded and played with Google SketchUp? It's pretty awesome, even for adults. And it's free. If you put it in the hands of your students, they will learn a lot of math, science, geometry, etc. - plus you would be meeting Technology Standard 6: Design of the Ohio Academic Content Standards. Here is the standard:

Standard 6: Design

Students apply a number of problem-solving strategies demonstrating the nature of design, the role of engineering and the role of assessment. Students recognize the attributes of design; that it is purposeful, based on requirements, systematic, iterative, creative, and provides solution and alternatives. Students explain critical design factors and/or processes in the development, application and utilization of technology as a key process in problem solving. Students describe inventors and their inventions, multiple inventions that solve the same problem, and how design has affected their community. They apply and explain the contribution of thinking and procedural steps to create an appropriate design and the process skills required to build a product or system. They critically evaluate a design to address a problem of personal, societal and environmental interests. Students systematically solve a variety of problems using different design approaches including troubleshooting, research and development, innovation, invention and experimentation.

And I found the PERFECT teacher resource for how to implement this cool tool in the classroom... Check out this "Google SketchUp Teacher Guide" - it is awesome. There are great instructions and lessons/projects for every grade level.

PBWiki Summer Camp

If you need a space online to share classroom materials with students and parents, there is no better way to do that than with a "wiki." A wiki (Hawaiin for "quick") is an easy to use web space - and you have options for making it public or private for your students.

We use PBwiki at ITSCO, and we have teachers sign up for an account and free wiki in our Web 2.0 classes. (See an example here. Click on "Sidebar" on the right column to see all the pages.) PBwiki is one of the best choices for educators - they seem to know what teachers want.... :-)

Right now, they are having a free online Summer Camp. Here's the info from their site:

"Want to build the ultimate classroom wiki and have it ready for the start of the fall semester?

Join us for PBwiki Summer Camp!

We know that a lot of educators have heard about wikis but just aren’t sure how to use them in the classroom. In PBwiki Summer Camp you will learn the best way to structure your classroom site, engage your students with audio and video and connect with experienced wiki mentors.

At the end of the summer, Campers who have followed the program receive a free platinum wiki for the school year, as well as some fun swag along the way."

Did you catch that "free platinum wiki" for the school year? What a great way to get ready for fall! Give it a try, you can't lose - it's all free! (I know, got the GA Factor going with this post - too many exclamation points...)

Desmond Dekker

We watched "Fool's Gold" last weekend, and there was a song that I really loved in the movie... (Of course I also really love Matthew McConaughey too...) The song was "You Can Get It If You Really Want." So I headed on over to iTunes to buy it and saw that it was by Desmond Dekker - I already have "The Israelites." Thought maybe someone else saw the movie and liked the music too...

"Paint" application for the Mac

Sometimes when we do a workshop, we refer folks to "Paint," (Accessories, Paint) on the Windows platform. I found a little program that works almost exactly the same on the Mac - it's called "Paintbrush." Sometimes you just need a simple little drawing program....

Find it here.

Oh, and if you want to grab an application's icon and blow it up (like the one here), Bittbox has the "how-to."

I like her...

Of course I "love" her - she's my daughter, but I really LIKE her too. She is so creative and has such a weird sense of humor, that she is really fun to be around. I'm not saying she's "perfect," (she can be a WHOLE lot like her Dad sometimes), but dang it, I really do like her.

She just wrote another article for Crafty Places. She's a darn good writer and a pretty good photographer too. Makes me proud. Also makes me realize that she is sooooo much better at taking pictures that I am - waaaaaa.... I'll just have to enjoy her talent and scrap her pics!

Wordle Word Cloud

This is fun - and it would be great for digital scrapbooking! You can use your blog (which is what I did), your Del.icio.us tags, or just paste in some text.

One of the participants in my online class had put their word cloud on their wiki - thanks Jan!

Make your own at http://wordle.net.