New Content Alert: Adobe CS4

This week we're releasing a bunch of great new content on Adobe's products.

Illustrator CS4 - Advanced 
Adobe^® Illustrator^® CS4 software is a comprehensive vector graphics environment with new transparency in gradients and multiple artboards that invite you to explore more efficient ways to design. Take your knowledge of Illustrator CS4 to the next level with this advanced series.

Two free tutorials for Mac users 

Flash CS4 Professional - Advanced  
Adobe^® Flash^® CS4 Professional software is an advanced authoring environment for creating rich, interactive content for digital, Web, and mobile platforms. Dig in deeper with this advanced level tutorial series!

Two free tutorials for Windows users

After Effects CS4 
With Adobe^® After Effects^® CS4 software, you can create compelling motion graphics and blockbuster visual effects with flexible tools that help save you time and deliver unparalleled creative power.

Two free tutorials for Windows users

Photoshop CS4
Adobe^® Photoshop^® CS4 offers unrivaled editing and compositing power, a more intuitive user experience, and significant productivity enhancements. You'll enjoy learning how to use the more advanced features of this application in this tutorial series.

Two free tutorials for Mac users
Two free tutorials for Windows users

Job Security No More......(by Jen Wagner at Tech & Learning)

When I first started being a Tech Director (former job) I felt great pride in being the guru of tech knowledge and unfortunately, I also did my best to keep that knowledge just beyond the reach of the staff. You might call it a lot of things….but in actuality it was a lot of conceit with a bit of job security.

Now, jump forward 10 years (perhaps 10 years of wisdom, 10 years of maturing) and my major focus is to eliminate my position at work.

You see – for many many (too many) years …I was the holder of all tech wisdom. (100% mostly for my gratification and my ego). The false sense of pride of being the “techie know it all” not only alienated and limited my staff but also was selfish to myself and the burden I placed upon myself…because of my unwillingness to share the information.

So now I am consciously striving to put myself out of a job.

Read more

Content Update Alert: eFolio Minnesota

This collection has been available for some time, and now it's been updated to our new video format.

eFolioMinnesota™, Version 2 . . . a multimedia electronic portfolio designed to help you create a living showcase of your education, career, and personal achievements. All Minnesota residents, including students enrolled in Minnesota schools, educators, and others can use eFolio to reach their career and education goals.

View two free tutorials

New Content Alert: Keynote '09 - What's New? (Mac)

Amaze your audience with quality presentations that are easier than ever to create with the new features in Keynote^® '09.

Watch a tutorial free

New Content Alert: NeoOffice 3 Impress - Intro (Mac)

NeoOffice^® is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Here's an introduction to using the presentation application of the suite, Impress.

View two sample tutorials

US DoE Challenges Students with Video Contest

In two minutes or less, America's students have an opportunity to show the nation and the world how far education can take them and how they will achieve their dreams.

On September 8, President Barack Obama called on the nation's students to take greater responsibility for their education. Now, the U.S. Department of Education is asking students to respond by participating in a national video contest titled “I Am What I Learn.” (read more)

Atomic Learning offers several tools that could be instrumental in creating a video for this challenge, or for any reason at all.

Storyboard Pro is a FREE shareware program designed to give teachers, students, and home movie makers a tool to plan ahead when creating video projects. It allows moviemakers to plan shots, enter titles and descriptions, enter tips for the videographer or photographer, and much more. StoryBoard Pro is the work of Apple Distinguished Educator Bill Bierden.

Watch the tutorials and download Storyboard Pro here


Our Video Storytelling Guide is a comprehensive primer for learning the language of video.

Learn more and read the free preview

New Content Alert: Illustrator CS4 - Advanced (PC)

As stated by Adobe®: "Adobe® Illustrator® CS4 software is a comprehensive vector graphics environment with new transparency in gradients and multiple artboards that invite you to explore more efficient ways to design." Take your knowledge of Illustrator CS4 to the next level with this advanced series.

Watch two free tutorials from this new series

New Content Alert: Scratch

Here's something that could be a heck of  lot of fun for kids and teachers alike.

Scratch is a free programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art - and share your creations on the Web.

View two introductory tutorials free. 

New Content Alert: Statistical Analysis with Excel

Atomic Learning has created a new series on Excel for PC.

Microsoft® Excel, the powerful spreadsheet application, boasts a robust set of statistical functions. This tutorial series will guide you through each of those basic functions and demonstrate how you can perform more complex analysis by activating the Data Analysis ToolPak.

 View samples of this series.

Assistive Tech Webinar #1 Archived, #2 Coming Up!

Our first in a series of AT webinars, "Integrating Assistive Technology Tools for Writing into General Education", went well with fantastic attendance levels. Thanks to all who participated! You may review or share this webinar here.

Gayl Bowser, this webinar's host, has offered to answer questions on our Conversations network. She's also made her presentation slides available. Join the discussion!

The second webinar in this series, "Assistive Technology Integration for Teachers", will take place September 30 at noon CDT. This session will focus on how to integrate Assistive Technology in your classroom management routines, how to think about it in your anticipatory set and levels of participation, and in your rules, procedures, and goals.

You may register for this free webinar here.

Tech & Learning Top Ten Stories

As you head back to school, stay on top of what's hot with The Top 10 Most Read Stories on TechLearning.com

Bloom's Taxonomy Bloom's Digitally » Blocking For Balance » Free Education Workshops » Ten Ways To Get Beyond Powerpoint With Classroom Projectors » 5 Back to School Must-Haves for Innovative Educators » Get Going with Google Apps In Your School » Eight Ways To Use School Wikis » 21st Century Skills: Will Our Students Be Prepared? » September 11th Education Program » 25 ways to teach with Twitter »

First Assistive Tech Webinar Today (9/10/09)!

As mentioned in an earlier post, we're kicking off the school year with a series of webinars on assistive technology integration. The first is today at noon CDT. There's still time to register if you're interested.

After the webinars, we'll be continuing the discussions at our new Atomic Learning Conversations network. Please join us regardless of your attendance at the webinar.

New Content Alert: Pages '09 & Fireworks CS4 (Mac)

Pages '09 - What's New? 
This tutorial series covers the major improvements included in Pages '09. Other procedures for using Pages remain essentially unchanged from the previous version. Follow these links to view tutorials covering operations in our Pages '08 - Intro series or Pages '08 - Advanced series.

Fireworks CS4 - Intro
Rapidly prototype and design for the Web, and create and optimize images more quickly and accurately than ever before with the enhanced toolset featured in Adobe^® Fireworks^® CS4.

Recent addition: Google Earth 5

We've added a large collection of great tutorials on Google Earth 5. As usual, the first two are free!

Google™ Earth version 5 lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others.

http://www.atomiclearning.com/gglearth5

New Product Alert: iDVD '09

Atomic Learning has just launched a new tutorial series on the popular Mac iLife component iDVD.

iDVD™ ‘09 allows you to combine video and photos in your slideshows, customize your menus, add fun themes, and much more. Learn how to use the many great features of iDVD ‘09 in this tutorial series.

Check out the free intro tutorials. Here's Apple's iDVD page.

Free Assistive Tech software introductory videos

What is Assistive Technology software? Atomic Learning offers free intro videos which are useful on their own. Feel free to browse our entire collection and try some out.

Of course, our just-in-time tutorials are just the beginning of what AL offers. Look for many new features, tools, and resources with the launch of our new website in August.