You Got Options To Share Adobe Spark Page - Using Embed code

After you have created a Adode Spark Page and wanted to share with your friends, you can get a shareable link or upload to Facebook, Twitter or Google Classroom.  Also, you can copy the Embed code for the page and embed it onto another webpage or blog like here.

You see that the page appears inside your post when you click on it.  You can also click on the goto Adobe.com icon to view the page from there.

Options for Creating Quizzes

There are many options for creating online quiz.  The latest version of Google Forms has added the  self-grading quiz feature with possible immediate scoring on multiple-choices and checkbox questions.  The process, as with many other Google products, is meant to be user-friendly and easy to learn.  Therefore, using quizzes in Google From is a tool appropriate used for simple assessment and subject refresher.

For more sophisticated tools, Flubaroo is another choice.  It allows you to have more customization and there are more advanced grading options.  Flubaroo is a free script in Google Sheet.  It calculates grades, present average score and percentage, and identify students who need help. It even runs report for you to display score distributions.  So, check it out.

Cinemagraphs - something new and cool!

I came across Ann Street Studio site that has a still image of a fireplace with a burning fire roosting warm and cozy, so I wanted to see how it's being done. Ah! Something called 'Cinemagraphs', which I thought it must need a lot of coding and animation scripting to make it happen. But, the good news is that smart developers have made it so easy to make and there are freeware to share.  Bless their hearts!

Here's also an article by author Ali Qayyum, with his 5 top picks on Cinemagprahs:

http://smashinghub.com/5-best-iphone-apps-for-creating-cinemagraphs.htm

Enjoy, and have a cool ride with this.

Add an image to your RSS Feed

Somebody was asking me about how to show a featured image in Wordpress RSS Feed.  I did some research and found this..  if your are using WordPress, you can try this suggested plugin - 'Featured Images in RSS Feeds'

https://woorkup.com/show-featured-image-wordpress-rss-feed/

Adding Video Background in your Website

If you ever want to consider putting a video background into your website, here are some tutorial resources I came across from Paul Andrew's marketblog, Envato.com. They recently have put up the 'Master Video on Web Design' event and have provided lots of amazing resources for users.

The tutorials are clear and easy to follow. You may also like the 20 themes and templates they listed for video background.

HTML5 and CSS

Guidelines and site examples with full-screen or partial video background 

Plugins for adding video to your site

20 themes and templates

Prezi - for storytelling, an example

Storytelling is one of the many tools used by teachers in the classroom to illustrate ideas, show experience, and encourage reflections. Students can succeed doing so by using different medium for their stories:  drama, dance, mime, songs, drawings; and now in the digital age, we choose videos, movies, photography...  How about Powerpoint and Prezi? Let's take a look at this example.

Did not know that there are so many apps just for WORD CLOUDs!

Take a look at this great resource from Edublog- Teacher Boot Camp plus 35+ activities !

http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2016/04/13/wordclouds/

Google Forms auto response and attachment

I found these two videos to be very useful for my training on Google Forms.  The first one is how to send a customized auto-response confirmation email to the user after they have filled out a form; and the second one is to attach a PDF from Google drive on the auto-response email.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuFZ78_NZtQ#t=329 (Jeff Everhart, JE Media and Design)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzBQZAhjHeI#t=16 (Jeff Everhart, JE Media and Design)

Getting Images tell you about the latest image trends for 2015

Here's a webcast from iStock Getty Images that I want to share with you.  It's good to be mindful of what's new out there, not because you need to get rid of 'old' styles, but more on knowing what the new trends are to engage your audience better moving forward.  As our society changes and demographic elements evolving, designers might need new focus to communicate their messages to be effective.

Make a Rotator Banner

See my previous post on Bannersnack.com.

Tool to Create a Banner

This tool is quite wonderful to use for creating simple banners of different sizes, and interactive banners to engage your audience. once you have made your banner,  you can download it or copy the embed code to use it wherever you like.

Bannersnack.com is a company that allows you to make a banner in a few steps for free. To be able to use all the premium options available, including embed (Flash & HTML5), download PNG, JPG, GIF and Flash/SWF, you need to choose a membership plan.

The tool is very easy to use, and you have so much flexibility with creating banners, rotators, and animated banners, I am sure you are going to love it just as much as I do!  The plans are very affordable too if you want to go premium, but I bet your campaign will definitely pay off for the extra you spend! The team also offers to help with advertising campaign, so that's the service you can look into too if you have a business to promote in mind. Try this out!

Do you want a QR code?

Have you ever wondered what those little squares mean when you see them in coffee shop, magazines, supermarkets, and chips packages?  Do you know that you can interact with them? I did not have a clue what they are until later.  People tell me that all I need is to scan it, and it will give me more information.

Alright- here I am finally making one for this blog!

1. Go to http://www.qreasy.com
2. Choose URL to generate one that takes your audience to a website.
3. Enter your website URL in the blank field
4. Enter a Title for this QR code
5. Then click the Download button to get a copy of the QR code, or Copy the code inside the 'Get the Code' window to embed it in other places you like.

It's that easy!

To scan codes, you first need to download a QR Reader app from your mobile device, and you are off to scan these codes you see next time you are shopping. Simply open up your app, and put your mobile device over the QR code, it will automatically scan and take you to a website for more information.

Free Icon Generator

If you want to make an icon, all you need to do is to upload your image, choose a style and voila! Your icon is created and ready for you to download! Try out!

http://www.iconj.com/iphone_style_icon_generator.php

What happen to Single Edition Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) ?

How sad that Adobe does not support the Single Edition DPS anymore.  Users can still use the Enterprise Edition DPS though.  It's just more budget you will need to negotiate with your department.

The rationale behind it:
http://indesignsecrets.com/adobe-drops-dps-se-support-creative-cloud.php

A Tip from InDesign Secrets - Bleeds in PDF configure

This is a wonderful resource if you have not heard about InDesign Secrets!  They have tutorials and tips for beginners as well as advanced users.   Below is an article I happen to dawn on today on bleeds on PDF.

http://indesignsecrets.com/right-bleed-print-pdfs.php

Excellent tutorial on ID CC DPS Workflow

If you are new to DPS, you must see this!  Martin Perhiniak is so clear and thorough in his demonstrating the complex process of developing a folio. He covers how to separate articles in dual orientation, and then build the folio using the Folio Builder panel, and proceed to the Folio Producer.

Adobe Form Central allows Attachments to your Form

While Google Forms has added the features to add image, video, progress bar and data validation to forms, I am still hoping for is file attachment capability.  I recently found another option is to use Adobe FormsCentral, an online form builder service for designing, distributing, collecting and storing of files and data all in one central place. It also has a payment processing feature. Being able to attach one or more different types of files makes tasks like RFP, interviews, research and collaboration works much easier.

There are three types of pricing:  Free (one online form up to 50 responses), Basic( five online forms up to 500 responses), and Plus (unlimited forms up to 5000 responses).

Watch this video: How to add attachments to a FormsCentral Form (Adobe TV by Donna Baker)

Additional resource: http://blogs.adobe.com/acrobat/formscentral-features/

Create More Styles in InDesign

Are you an InDesign user"  Well, here 's such a great video on creating super styles and nested styles by Jeff Witchel, certified Adobe Trainer.

InDesign's Super Styles from Jeff Witchel on Vimeo.

Google Forms data are stored in forms now - a new option

Announcement from Google - Features launching on June 11th, 2013

"Google Forms: Users now have access to a new version of Google Forms. Just as with Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can now collaborate with others in real-time. Multiple users can work on the same form simultaneously. Unlike the previous version, forms are no longer tied to a specific spreadsheet. Responses are collected and stored only in the form. If owners prefer to see the data in a spreadsheet, they can specify a destination spreadsheet for the data at any time."

Check it out further from their blog.

Google's Gmail has a new Inbox feature- check it out here

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in.html

Great blog to follow!