Learning on the Fly: On-Line Tutorials Teach It All!

Are you ready to get serious about Office or Hyperstudio? Do you need an overview of the practical aspects of the product? Perhaps you just need a quick refresher on FileMaker Pro for a database you want to create. You may be ready to learn HTML or employ more visuals on a school Web page. On-line tutorials allow you to train yourself or your staff -- no fees, no long-term commitment, no messy manuals! Included: Free on-line tutorials for Adobe Acrobat, Windows 95, Power Point, JAVA, Photoshop, and many, many more!

There are so many computer applications out there that no one can hope to be proficient in all of them. The time will come, however, when you will want to get up to speed on software in a quick, no-nonsense way.
Wizards and manuals have their place -- but the niche between them can be filled only by tutorials, which offer concise instruction on the capabilities of a product without excessive detail or hand-holding.

On-line tutorials are especially invaluable because they offer quick access and easy navigation. They can meet your needs in a short amount of time and they are free!

After you've read this article, if you're looking for more resources, check out the tutorial resource edition of the Innovative Teaching Newsletter. You can also explore a wealth of information at the EdTech WebRing.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT ON A TEACHER'S TERMS!

Consider the possibilities for staff development when you have access to on-line tutorials!

Many lesson-plan databases use the .pdf format on-line. To make downloading those lesson plans a cinch, teachers might take the Adobe Acrobat Reader Tutorial.
Perhaps you are ready to train your staff to design their own multimedia courseware this fall. Then you must see the on-line Hyperstudio Tutorial. It can augment your presentation and offer teachers the chance to practice on their own long after your workshop is over.
Are you more of an Office aficionado? Sharing the PowerPoint and PowerPoint 97 tutorials can help empower teachers to create their own slide shows for instruction. In addition, Technology in Teaching and Learning does a nice job of presenting all the components of the Office suite.
Windows 95 covers all the basics of the widely used operating system, just as Macintosh Tips and Tutorials does for the competition. These modules have two advantages: Users who know their stuff design them, and the presentation has no commercial bias.

THOSE DREADED SPREADSHEETS AND DATABASES

Nobody on any staff wants to claim to be an expert at spreadsheets and databases. Let's face it, the "expert" will be inundated with requests for help, and those applications just aren't as much fun as software that comes with all the bells and whistles -- the colors, the sounds, the animations! The potential databases have for instruction is so awesome, however, that every educator owes it to himself or herself -- and the students -- to see what they have to offer. I strongly recommend Best Practices and Integrating Spreadsheets in Your Classroom to learn the basics and the possibilities for using spreadsheets.

Database Central and FileMaker Pro are fabulous for learning about the creation and use of databases in an instructional setting. If the bug really bites you, visit Tammy Worcester's Tammy's Technology Tips for Teachers. This is the place to go to take your database skills to the next level!

INSTANT INTERNET INSTRUCTION

Developing savvy in navigating the Internet is another priority for teachers and staff. Microsoft Product Insider and Polaris Topic Index both offer nicely organized orientations to the history and layout of the World Wide Web, e-mail, file transfer protocol (FTP), and numerous other Internet applications. For browsers, consider the University of California at San Diego's Netscape Tutorial and Eastern Illinois University's Internet Explorer Tutorial. Both are visually pleasing and nicely designed for the novice.

Many times -- by default or decree -- educators find themselves wearing the hat of Webmaster! If you are one of those educators or if you are ready to move on from basic WWW navigation and begin developing your own Web pages, I highly recommend on-line tutorials for teaching yourself HTML and JAVA. The HTML Crash Course for Educators is very basic but very good at helping you experience success with that first Web page. A 12-year-old girl designed Lissa's HTML Help. Its straightforward, common-sense approach is ideal for beginning Webmasters of all ages. If you're looking for a tutorial to help you go beyond the basics, Advanced HTML Tutorials will help you master the special effects that will sharpen your images and increase site traffic. If you're ready to add JAVA to your pages, the The JAVA Tutorial is the definitive site on the Web.

There's a place on-line for every learning need!

MAKE YOUR VISUALS VIBRANT

Do you want to master the art of graphic design? Another popular set of digital applications will help you accomplish your goal. Media Builder does a superb job of introducing various formats, graphics editors, and converters that will help you adapt images to the requirements of different software packages. The Pixel Foundry is another excellent place to learn the basics of graphic design on-line.

Get Animated is a great site to learn how to make those images move. Art Lebedev's Photoshop Professional Tips and Tricks offers advanced approaches to using the popular software. If you're ready to make your images interactive, the Image Map Authoring Guide and Tutorial Sites can show you how to make different regions of your pictures clickable.

DIGITAL LITERACY: CAN WE MAKE THEM THINK?

Beyond the graphic considerations, information literacy is the major issue that educators face in using technology with their students. Yes, we can lead kids to the fountain of knowledge along the information superhighway, but can we make them drink? Many resources are available to help teachers make the best use of technology. Following are a handful of those resources.

Internet Detective is a great place to start setting standards to share with your students.
From Now On is Jamie McKenzie's ongoing masterpiece on information literacy for educators. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!
The University of California at Berkeley Library presents Finding Information on the Internet, which offers a great set of lessons on searching for quality information.

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

What are you waiting for? Have you been thinking about updating your own skills? The summer's only half over! If preparing for fall staff development is at the top of your to-do list, now is the time to gather your resources and plan the ultimate training! Whether you use on-line tutorials for guided practice or as an extension to support staff after training is complete, there's no reason not to incorporate them into your overall instructional strategy!