How To... Build a Tech Tip Library

A collection of computer tips to use as needed, or right now!

Consider it spring cleaning. I've discovered a number of unrelated tips and tricks for making technology easier to use with classroom integration and want to pass them along. Try them now, or file them away for later use.

Text reader software substitute

In trying to provide modifications for testing, support for emergent readers or just make it easier for primary students to complete the reading required for online research, I've found a way to get Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 to read PDF files, even without the assistance of one of the excellent text reader software programs now in the education market. Just save the web version of the PDF to your hard drive. Open Acrobat Reader 6.0 from your program files. Select the option in View To: Read Out Loud.

Working with web pages

If you want the web pages that you create to appear just as you made them, even in your visitors' browsers, use tables. Tables will keep the objects, both text and images, in the exact position you place them in the table. You can even make your table invisible by highlighting the entire table, going to Table Properties - Borders and Shading - and set the line width to "0." This gives you a dotted line while you are working on the table, but makes it invisible when it is viewed online. This works with most HTML editors, but definitely works with Microsoft's FrontPage and Macromedia's DreamWeaver. Note: remember that the 600 x 800 pixel resolution is a good standard for web work in education.

Macromedia Flash updates

I got a call from a teacher in my building who wanted to use a website I'd introduced to his students in the computer lab, but all he got was a blank screen beyond the opening page. I've found the blank screen often indicates a plugin is not up to date. I went to the classroom, downloaded the newest version of Flash Player from the Macromedia website and the "blank" site was up and working in seconds. Many interactive websites will check your machine to see if you need an update or remind you that their games need a certain version of a particular plugin. Keep the www.macromedia.com shortcut on your desktop so you can download the most current version of Flash (and Shockwave) to see if it fixes your blank screen.

Instant watermarks

Want to create stationery or special paper for a thematic unit? With Microsoft Word you can create a watermark for your paper. This would make a great art/word processing project or a special Mother's Day gift for your students' moms. Here's how to do it:

1 Open Microsoft Word, click the "Insert" menu, select "Picture" and click "Clip Art" in the resulting menu.

2 Select a picture from the clip art library and click "Insert."

3 Grab a corner of the picture and expand the picture to cover most of the page.

4 Click the "View" menu, then "Toolbars," then "Picture" to show the Picture toolbar. (In Mac OS X, the "Picture" tools are in the "Formatting" palette.)

5 Select the "Image Control" button on the Picture toolbar and click "Watermark." If you want to photocopy the page, select "Image Control" again and click "Grayscale."

6 Select the "Text Wrapping" button on the Picture Toolbar and click "Behind Text."

Voila! You've got computer-watermarked paper. Students can now begin typing a Mother's Day greeting or "My Mother is Special because..." as a top sheet on the gift pack of stationery.

Online tools

For time-saving tools, add this URL to your Favorites/Bookmarks: Education World's Sites to See at www.education world.com/a_tech/sites/sites018.shtml It has several of my all-time favorites - Discovery School and Filamentality - and a great new resource, Landmarks for Schools, at http://landmark-proj ect.com that highlights free web tools for integrating technology into the curriculum including a rubric maker, citation machine, permission template, digital index card and SLATE for creating webquests.

Calendar assignments

What a great way to organize homework assignments for the rest of the year. Or you can send a calendar home with activities to do throughout the summer break! This free online calendar builder also offers links to Internet resources that students can use at home. Check out Assign-A-Day at http://assignaday.4teachers.org/ and type in Calendar ID #141301 to see my sample Summer Calendar of activities.

As you start your "spring cleaning" tasks of attaining classroom goals and objectives before summer comes and reviewing skills your students have covered throughout the school year, I hope these tips will make your "tech clean-up" a little easier. Remember, you can always e-mail me with questions about technology or tech tips of your own.

Linda Lindroth is a K-5 Technology Teacher, as well as Website Coordinator for Teaching K-8. You can e-mail her at: Linda@TeachingK-8.com

Copyright Early Years, Inc. Apr 2004
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