Workshop Topics: Schools often want software specific workshops for their staff. We can offer a range of workshops in web development and multimedia production training and techniques. Today the important underlying factor that should be considered when inquiring anywhere about software training is its applicability to the web. If one wishes to be trained in PowerPoint, for example, that training should include how to move the product to the web, or better yet, how to develop similar interactive multimedia capability as actual web pages.
Workshops to teach the use of software combinations are often the best way to approach the complex process of helping teachers develop a methodology and delivery sytem that aims student activities toward publication as an end goal. When teachers see how software combinations can provide a complete set of creative tools for both themselves and their students, they quickly understand the implications for introducing content through student projects and publication.
Any of the major software pieces and suites below can be scheduled as a focus for a workshop or workshop series. I can recommend grouping different combinations of several individual software items together into packages to empower teachers with a specific lesson and publication focus.
Adobe PhotoShop CS/CS2®, LiveMotion 2® and GoLive CS/CS2® (Adobe Web Suite)
This is the high powered stuff. One of the two best software packages on the market today capable of creating complex and powerful graphics, flash animations and web sites. Educators who are able to use this software have real power to move lesson delivery and student projects to the web. The downside is the challenging learning curve with this software. While primary functions are relatively easy to master, employing the powerful features of this software requires a high level of understanding of web processes.
QuickTime® Video
QuickTime is the most verstile video standard available today for web publication. Streaming video clips and MP3 audio can be very powerful interactive educational lesson tools for teachers to incorporate into their delivery methods. My experience in digital video production and streaming methods for web delivery allows me to offer a range of focuses in this area.
iMovie®, iDVD® (free still image to motion video software - Macintosh only)
iMovie is an ideal classroom video production tool allowing regular digital photos to have special effects added to them that give the illusion of motion. The product is exported as a movie that can be streamed on the web. A standard digital camera and Mac OSX are the only requirements.
Adobe Acrobat® (Writer)
This program creates the familiar "PDF" files that you have probably seen and used. Many teachers may be more ready to publish lesson and text materials than they may realize. Imagine being able to divert some textook expenditures to technology enhancements in your teaching programs. Acrobat allows conversion and publication for print or web browser most of the file types teachers are already creating on their computers. This can be a powerful tool for moving teacher lesson materials to the web.
PowerPoint®
 PowerPoint is easy to learn presentation software. It has the advantage of being readily available with no additional software cost in most school districts since it is part of the Microsoft Office suite. Teachers and students can create multimedia presentations quickly. It's interactive capabilities compared to Hyperstudio or flash animations is very limited, however.
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Examples available on this page
