Contents  FEATURE: Kathy Schrock's Tech Quest Adobe Acrobat, a teacher's best friend by Kathy Schrock
		A reader recently wrote, "My teaching partners and I like to share lesson plans and worksheets that we create on our computers. However, it's difficult to share the files electronically because we use different operating systems and word processing software. What can we do to make sharing electronic files easier?" It's frustrating when you can't open a colleague's file or when you print a worksheet from a Web site and the formatting and graphics are altered. That's where Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader can really make a difference!
		Adobe Acrobat vs. Adobe Acrobat Reader Many people are confused about the difference between Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Basically, Adobe Acrobat is a program that allows you to create, share, view, navigate, and print electronic files called Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. The latest version, Adobe Acrobat 5.0, costs about $250 per individual license, with substantial discounts for educational institutions and volume licenses. (Registered users of earlier versions can upgrade for $99.) Here's how it works: After you create a document using a program such as Microsoft Word, Appleworks, or Pagemaker, simply use Acrobat to convert the document into a PDF file. This file preserves the exact look and content of the original, including fonts, colors, graphics, and layout. You can even add links to Web pages, video, and audio files to the document. There are many options for sharing the document. You can print it out, e-mail it as an attachment, save it on a disk or CD-ROM, or post it on your school server or the Internet. The size of the PDF file is often much smaller than the original file, so it can be sent or downloaded faster than your original documents -- especially those with lots of graphics. A PDF file can then be read by any computer that has the free Acrobat Reader installed. A new service offered by Adobe also offers "Create Adobe PDF Online." For a small fee, you can convert documents to PDF files through the Adobe Web site. It's a great way to view some of Acrobat's features. Visit http://createpdf.adobe.com/ for more information or to register for three free-trial uses.		The Acrobat Reader program, which can easily be downloaded for free (see Web site, below), only allows you to view, navigate, and print Adobe PDF files. Many sites publish worksheets and forms as PDFs because users can open the Reader to view and print the sheet, keeping its original format, fonts, and graphics, even if they don't have the program that was used to create the original. With the Reader, you can also fill in PDF forms, such as workshop registrations, requests for materials, and grant applications. You can also search a PDF document for a keyword. This feature is very helpful when you are looking for a specific term in a long document, such as a specific curricular area in a 100-page document about your state standards. Many common software programs now come with the free Acrobat Reader. If yours didn't, or if you want to update your version, you can download it free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html Once you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, visit these URLs for some classroom "goodies" to start the school year. The 5 W's of Web Site Evaluation: www.creativeclassroom.com/ archive.html Kids' Rule for Online Safety (created by Larry Magid at SafeKids.com): http://www.creativeclassroom.com/archive.html Critical Evaluation of Web Pages: Elementary Level: http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalelem.pdf The ABC's of Web Site Evaluation (first published in Classroom Connect): http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/pdf/weval.pdf
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