What’s Internet Public Library?
If you’re looking for a trusted research source, consider the Internet Public Library. Since 1995, IPL.org has provided vetted resources for students, teachers, librarians, and academia. It is a public learning technology service sponsored by University of Michigan’s School of Information, and Drexel University’s College of Information Science & Technology.

“To date, thousands of students have been involved in designing, building, creating and maintaining the IPL and its various services. In addition, hundreds of volunteer librarians throughout the world have been involved remotely, answering reference questions in our Ask a Question service. It is through the efforts of these students and volunteers that the IPL continues to thrive to this day.”

To access, click on Internet Public Library.

Adobe Offers More Than Great Software
Every day, new media products come online providing students and teachers different tools to excel. When paper and pencils were introduced, these tools were a breakthrough in technology. Now, today’s schools incorporate computers and technology, yet it can be difficult to keep up with all the changes. Young minds absorb new media technology as if they were born with the skills. Teachers are expected to understand, and incorporate e-Learning solutions in various lesson plans, but trying to find the time for training, teaching and developing material is….well, time consuming!

Adobe’s Digital School Collection offers a cornucopia of teacher resources to incorporate digital media into daily classroom curriculum. Adobe listens to administrative staff, students, parents and teachers, integrating their requests to develop numerous online activities, lessons, projects and tutorial services.

The Adobe Digital School Collection includes the following software product line:

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 – edits, enhances, crops, organizes and share images
• Adobe Premeire Elements 8 – edit and share video
• Adobe Soundbooth CS4 – edit audio, prepare podcasts, customize music, add sound effects
• Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro – simplifies creating and sharing documents, graphs, media rich lessons, assignments and project material
• Adobe Contribute CS4 – add content, images, edit web content

What’s Offered in the Collection
Let’s say you want to develop a lesson plan, or project that incorporates digital storytelling using storyboard techniques, video clips, digital photography, podcasting and publishing the finished results on a website.  Where do you begin?  What lesson strand are you following?  Is this project to be cross curriculum and collaborated by teamwork, shared by exporting to other classes or schools, or constructed on different computers? Whether teaching elementary school subjects, middle school history or high school media classes Adobe offers some great resources.

First, the full product line (Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, Premiere Elements 9, Soundbooth CS4, Acrobat 9 Pro, Contribute CS4) is $149 for volume licensing, a definite savings over purchasing individual software programs.   Second, there are numerous, detailed lesson plans prepared by teachers and specialists that demonstrate how to use these programs, as well as incorporation into classroom curriculum.  Additional content is provided in Photoshop Elements 8 and Premiere Elements 9. Students (and teachers) learn by collaborating, sharing knowledge, teamwork, problem solving and discussion.

Here are samples of prepared lesson plans at in math, science, language arts, history/social studies, visual and performing arts at the Adobe Teacher Resources:

• Geometric Concepts (ages 8-10)
• Patterns (ages 6-8)
• Dolch Word Practice (ages 5-7)
• Volcano Eruption (ages 9-13)
• Visual Dictionary (ages 11-17)
• Pioneers of Music (ages 11-17)
• A Person in Time Online (ages 11-17)

Each lesson provides supporting guides (U.S. and British version), sample final project, media assets or website templates.

And There’s More Free Support
Now, you’ve found a lesson plan that you can incorporate, or follow to use for a similar project. Yet, what if additional assistance is required? No problem.
Click on K-12 Teachers and Administrators to explore online events, cross curricular resources (digital storytelling, teacher resources, workshops, e-portfolios and assessments). Adobe TV offers basic to advanced lessons for free. Many shows are offered especially for Adobe Digital School Collection. Click on Channels to view a variety of tutorials.

The Adobe Education Leaders blog shares thoughts and advice from Adobe Education Leaders.

And if that’s not enough, students and teachers can access e-portfolio workshops and support from Atomic Learning . For podcasting, Adobe has collaborated with Podbean.com for free podcasting.

As I keep perusing Adobe’s Digital School Collection, resources, I keep uncovering additional online, or pdf material. When purchasing the Digital School Collection, schools and teachers receive a Teacher Resource CD highlighting many of these resources:

• Lesson Plans
• Digital Portfolio
• Technical Guides
• Tips and Tricks
• Image and Video Gallery
• Teaching Process and Assessment

Netbooks are supported by Photoshop Elements 8, and Adobe is working on developing additional application to support netbooks.

To reach 21st century students, teachers have to apply 21st skills. And Adobe delivers these skills and more.  No teacher left behind is Adobe’s motto.

System Requirements: Windows XP; check individual software programs for additional system requirements
Contact: Adobe Education K-12
Cost: Volume licensing at $149 US.

Offering Current Events, Articles, Photos & Videos As Lessons
The New York Times offers free educational material using current news.

“Our mission is to offer rich and imaginative materials for teaching and learning using New York Times content.”

The NY Times offers:

Lessons are planned by multiple categories.

Learn more at New York Times Learning.  And it’s free!

Adobe just updated their Digital School Collection for K-12 Classrooms.

The Digital School Collection bundle  “includes the new Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 8 and Adobe Premiere® Elements 8 for Windows® which offer new photo, video and podcasting capabilities that enable students to creatively express ideas through classroom projects. Along with other tools in the collection – Adobe Contribute® CS4, Adobe Acrobat® 9 Pro and Adobe Soundbooth® CS4 – educators can inspire students to develop the problem solving, critical thinking, digital literacy and collaboration skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom and in the future workforce. Additionally, for the first time, Adobe takes advantage of new technologies used in 21st century classrooms by offering netbook compatibility support for Photoshop Elements 8 (Windows) and Adobe Photoshop Elements for the Mac platform.”

Bob Regan, director of worldwide K-12 for Adobe, points out that Adobe’s goals are to ensure K-12 students graduate with competitive skills in the global workforce. Adobe understands the challenges budget-constraint districts face each day.

“We think it’s imperative to deliver affordable solutions like the Digital School Collection that not only inspire students to stay connected to their classroom, but also encourage 21st century and project-based learning.”

Keeping Students And Teachers Equipped With The Right Tools
Free Teacher Resource DVDs are provided incorporating K-12 lesson plans, creative ideas and quick tutorials for implement projects. Find these free teaching resources online at www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc .

“Additionally, Adobe and Knowledge Network Solutions Inc. (KNS) together offer professional development courses that help teachers use the new version of Adobe Digital School Collection across academic disciplines.”

PodBean – Free Podcasting Site
Adobe offers Podbean, a free podcasting site on the Adobe website that allows 21st century classrooms to provide syndication publishing for audio/video content distribution.

“With Acrobat 9 Pro, Contribute CS4 and Soundbooth CS4, students have the the ability to integrate multimedia design, video, audio, animation and Web design into projects and ePortfolios that build necessary technology and critical thinking skills for future success.”

Education Pricing Information (US$)
The Adobe Digital School Collection will be available on Oct. 1, 2009.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 (Win): $69
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 (Mac): $69
Adobe Premiere Elements 8 (Win): $69
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere Elements 8 (Win): $119
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere Elements 8 (Win) K-12 Student Licensing: $99
Adobe Digital School Collection (Win) Volume Licensing only: $149

Individual pricing information can be found at: Adobe Education Pricing.

Volume licensing information is available at: Adobe Education Licensing.

System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.4; Windows XP; Intel or 1.6 GHz processor; 1 GB RAM; 2 GB Hard drive space; 1024 X 576 Monitor; DVD-ROM drive; Internet connection (Firefox 1.5, Explorer 6)
Contact: Adobe.com

Subject Matter: Digital Media Education for Students, Teachers, Administrative Personnel, Digital Technicians
Grades: Elementary to College, Businesses, Marketing, NonProfit Organizations

Learn From These Teachers
I’ve enjoyed interviewing four different teachers who use different Adobe curricula in their elementary to college marketing classrooms. Adobe offers two curriculum levels: K-12 and Upper Education for College & Technical Training. Adobe’s education portals are at K-12 Education Solutions, and Adobe Higher Education. Both students and teachers learn and lead from each other as they surf the digital media wave of technology.

All four teachers tell different stories how they use Adobe products, yet they clearly tell the same message. All the material offered follows various state standards for various cross-curriculum programs.  Today, it’s not important to be an expert in one Adobe software product, but to know how to find the tools within different applications to complete a project, tell a story, or communicate with clients. Let me introduce these teachers.

Linda Ferguson: Whiz Elementary Teacher
Linda Ferguson is a teacher and Tech Site Coordinator for the San Juan Unified School District, California. Since 1985, Linda has been using Adobe products (when it was Macromedia). In 2000, she helped found the GeoLiteracy Foundation (American River Watershed). And from 2004, her education programs have been winning various awards and competitions (ISTE, Edutopia). In 2005, Linda developed the district wide program “Healthy Watershed, Healthy Community”. This program guides students to better understand the environmental issues impacting California’s watershed. The overreaching question applied is “In what ways do our rivers effect, or shape the communities that rely on them?”

Linda usese Acrobat Pro, Connect, Dreamweaver, Flash, Premier Element and InDesign with her 4th-6th grade students.  Through field studies, the students journey through the water cycle investigating and understanding factors affecting watersheds, water quality and habitat protection. From 4th grade and on, students brainstorm together learning to investigate, and apply the inquiry method. They collect data, field notes of their observations and analysis, photos and then the digital fun begins. Using Connect they facilitate and present data online sharing with other classes and schools. With Premier Elements, pictures are uploaded onto the website built with Dreamweaver. Remember, these are 4th-6th grade students doing all the work. InDesign also allows the students to create digital journals and portfolios, which Flash transforms into digital stories.

Linda recommends Joe Dockery’s Tutorials. And she’s used Lucy Calkin’s Writing Workshops. Throughout this program, Linda sees students become more self-motivated, and providing their own incentive to complete their work.  To students, this is “brain candy”, and they thrive on the digital challenges.

Laurie Burruss: Expert in Marketing
Laurie Burruss is the Director for the Pasadena College Digital Media Center (Pasadena College Digital Media Center). With Adobe, Laurie explained “It’s not the tool that pops up, but the creation that’s revealed”. Laurie is able to teach her students how to become creative, communication problem solvers utilizing different features in Adobe software. Laurie incorporates many Adobe applications (Acrobat, After Effects, DreamWeaver, Flash, Illustrator, PhotoShop, etc.) to teach her students Interactive Design – interweaving different features and functions to tell a digital story, without the hassle of writing code.

Digital communication requires a mix of digital media, writing, problem solving and creative thinking skills to tell a client’s story. Across the world, communication now involves interactive digital media that incorporates digital illustration, video, print, web design, podcasting, blogs, sharing information online, and virtual conferencing. Today, digital communication specialists must learn how to tell their story to a diversified audience with different computer platforms, languages, levels of expertise and varying viewpoints. Laurie recommends Adobe Development Center for training and tutorials. And she has used Adobe TV, and additional lessons from Lynda.com.

T.J. Fletcher – Stretching Science
T.J. Fletcher taught Honors Chemistry at Eagan High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Students used Flash 7 and Acrobat 9 developing a Calorimetry simulation, and then in the last trimester, produced a video clip on a chemistry subject. Check out the video clips at Multimedia Showcase.

Here are Mr. Fletcher’s comments, the Calorimetry Simulator and video tutorials: Using Adobe Flash in Chemistry. Students not only learned how to incorporate technology with chemistry and math, they applied trouble shooting skills, working together, and problem based analysis. He is now an Education Technology Coordinator for the TIES consortium of 38 Minnesota school districts, teaching teachers, media specialists, technical coordinators and administrative staff how to utilize different applications.

Sara Martin – Media & English Together
Sara Martin is a middle school teacher (5th-8th grade) at the Hart-Ransom School in Modesto, CA. She asks the students to stretch their potential, by using media projects in history, literature, science, and English. Sara taught computer literacy and worked with core teachers to incorporate their subject matter into different projects. Some of her student projects involved digital storytelling, creating a news magazine and advertising pamphlets, making historical subject video clips, and producing slide show of still photos.

Sara provides teaching tutorials at Photoshop Elements & Tutorials. Besides learning about chemistry, language arts and history, all these different projects teach the students important skills in planning, narration, speaking, preparation, listening, working in groups, oral and visual communications.

Beyond The Basics
These teachers offer a wide variety of experience and resources not only for students and teachers, but parents, administrative personnel, technology training, and marketing. The beauty of Adobe is all their products work well together to complete a storytelling masterpiece.

For additional links to teacher resources, link to: Adobe Curriculum K-12, Part A and Adobe Curriculum Higher Education, Part B.

System Requirements: Mac OS X, Windows, Universal, Web based browser
Contact: Adobe.com
Cost: Adobe Curriculum is free.

Learning Online
This program offers a full curriculum for K through 12th grade students, and also a summer school program. For K-8, they offer 75 online courses in seven subjects (Language Arts/English, History, Math, Science, Music, Art and World Languages). Parents and teachers will also receive boxes of textbooks, CDs, video and hands-on material. For the high school students, the program offers 105 online classes in core subjects.

With or Without Teacher Support Worldwide
Students can also subscribe to the material with, or without teacher support.
Check at Find A School to determine if there is a school in your area (within the US, or worldwide).

Cost Varies
Monthly classes start at $29.00. A one-year contract varies. One course costs $22/month. Six courses cost $94/month. View the pricing schedule at Enroll or Buy.

System Requirements: Web based browser
Contact: k12.com
Cost: Check pricing at Enroll or Buy

History Story Time
How did we first learn? By experience, and someone telling a story. Awesome Stories provides another resource for learning through stories. Topics covered range from biography, disasters, trials, flicks, history, inspiration, religion and sports.

Is the Material Accurate?
Here is an excerpt from their “About Us” page.

“AwesomeStories is a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose – since the site was first launched in 1999 – is to help educators and individuals find original sources, located at national archives, libraries, universities, museums, historical societies and government-created web sites.

AwesomeStories is about primary sources. The stories exist as a way to place original materials in context and to hold those links together in an interesting, cohesive way (thereby encouraging people to look at them). It is a totally different kind of web site in that its purpose is to place primary sources at the forefront – not the opinions of a writer. Its objective is to take the site’s users to places where those primary sources are located.

The author of each story is listed on the preface page of the story. A link to the author provides more detailed information.

This educational teaching/learning tool is also designed to support state and national standards. Each story on the site links to online primary-source materials which are positioned in context to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment.

Hundreds of teachers have provided specific input (for site improvements and story requests) throughout the last decade. The site would not be what it is today without their help and recommendations.”

Lesson Plans Provided
In addition, the website offers lesson plans, narrations, video clips, images, documents. Members receive their monthly newsletter. Link onto the Topics page to review more material.

It’s free, and provides an alternative source for learning.

System Requirements: Web based browser, printer
Contact:AwesomeStories.com
Cost: Free