Blue Ribbon Reviews February 2007
By Linda Lindroth

It's now easier than ever to share files with colleagues. Whether you're working one-on-one with PD training or completing a class project with another class in your school or across the country, this month's featured software will help you focus the instruction on your primary goal - learning.

Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional
This very familiar program to all who work with electronic files has really had a makeover - and the new program is truly amazing! Much more than an upgrade, version 8 offers the user a wide range of brand-new features to make it even easier to use for both the novice and the expert. The updated interface puts everything just a mouse click away and makes it even easier to exchange documents and share information with colleagues.

New features. Create PDF files from other applications like Office and keep the links, slide transitions and bookmarks. Take your Outlook or Lotus Mail e-mail and archive into a single searchable PDF file. Preserve web pages by saving them as PDFs. It is even possible to share AutoCad™ and Visio™ drawings with others using the free Adobe Reader 8.

Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional makes sharing information with colleagues a snap, whether they're down the hall or across the country.

And there's more: You can export PDF files to other formats like Word, HTML or image formats like JPEG, TIFF and PNG so you can edit the files. It's even possible to extract just a portion of a PDF file and save it as a new PDF.

Web conference with new Adobe Acrobat Connect™ software to share and collaborate in real-time over the Internet on PDF files. Just click the Start Meeting button to screen share files and documents, without scheduling or downloading software. The new redaction tools let you delete sensitive data from a PDF file package before you share it with others.

Creating a PDF package. One of my favorite new features in Acrobat 8 is the ability to combine or merge files to form a PDF package that acts like a single PDF file. Pull spreadsheets, Word documents, slideshows, drawings, etc. into a single PDF file. Unlike the Merge PDF in Acrobat 7 and earlier versions, which just pulled multi-files into one PDF, the new PDF Package option feels like a single file, but all the merged parts remain separate and flexible within the package so you can rearrange the order to fit your document needs. What a real bonus for administrators and teachers trying to create a School Improvement Plan or a needs-assessment report that has numerous file formats for student achievement. Students will find it easy to use a variety of technology pieces in research presentations or science or social studies fair projects. New file size options make it easy to transmit the final PDF package.

For more information, visit www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro or call 800-833-6687. Download a 30-day free trial. Windows, $449; upgrade, $159.

Young Mathematicians at Work
This series of professional development resource packages, developed by Heinemann, uses a multimedia CD-ROM as the learning environment for teachers who want to develop and improve their strategies for mathematical instruction for preK-3. Each module includes an overview manual, a facilitator's guide and an interactive CD. Using a math workshop environment, each of the five packages helps teachers become more proficient in hands-on, problem-solving, activity-based instruction, with titles such as Working with the Number Line: Mathematical Models, Grade 2 and Taking Inventory: The Role of Context, Grades K-1.

Visit http://books.heinemann.com/series/52.aspx or call 800-225-5800. Win/Mac, $49.50 for each package.

Linda K. Lindroth is Teaching K-8's technology editor and website coordinator, and a technology resource teacher at Russell Cave Elementary School in Lexington, KY.

February, 2007 Volume 37, Number 5