Tutorials
Life's little lessons do not come with tutorials. Granted there are the "parent tapes" with inspirational renditions of "How many times do I have to tell you not to throw the ball that way in the house?" But those lessons do not constitute a tutorial on how to play baseball. (-: Education, in its many forms, does.
With technology assistance from Sherlock and Dictionary.com, I double checked the meaning of " ed·u·cate (ešj’u-ka¯t') 1. To develop the innate capacities of, especially by schooling or instruction " The number one definition reminds us that "... the intent of the word "educate" isn't "to put in." In fact, it means just the opposite. Educere, the Latin root of educate, means "to lead out." (http://www.homeeducator.com/FamilyTimes/articles/11-1article3.htm)
We are in the business of providing life long learning possibilities, and we know the impact a "guide on the side" has. Tutorials provide a model for 'educere' that works well for staff and students. The value of using the internet in providing learning opportunities, 24/7, is now being realized.
In general the tutorials show great improvement over the early days of both technology and the internet. They no longer represent the best/worst of Programmed Learning (do you remember those books that you had to flip upside down and then read backwards?) or Drill and Practice. These tutorials offer hands on experiences with appropriate graphics, simulations and animations. Most often they are interesting and involving and you are going to learn! Some can be taken for Professional Development credit and they cover areas from the techie in you (see below) to those, like Darlene, who love to garden.
I know some of you requested an issue on tutorials and that many expect an article aimed at teachers and students who need help with programs. So much for your "Great Expectations." (-: What you have here is another elle crusade - we need tutorials to keep ourselves, the Tech People, up-to-date. With so much out there and the demands increasing everyday, I wanted material that will directly help us. I promise to get to the other folks in a bit. A general statement: with one exception I have tried to stay away from fee based tutorials. As a result you will find a mixed bag of home grown and sleek looking professional websites, however content still reigns supreme.
The Tech Crusade: http://www.w3schools.com/ First, it is free and very good. I tried the self paced tutorial on Flash, JavaScript and .asp as well as reviewing the one on HTML Excellent material and you can start at our own level, skipping sections you already know. There are tests and quizzes. Sponsored but not disruptive, the site cannot be downloaded because site traffic keeps it free. (For those of you who need to download the internet, try this - http://www.w3schools.com/downloadwww.htm)
•• Here is a PARTIAL listing: HTML Tutorials • Learn HTML, XHTML, CSS XML Tutorials • Learn XML Browser Scripting • Learn JavaScript, DHTML Server Scripting • Learn SQL, ASP, ADO, PHP .NET (dotnet) • .NET Microsoft, .NET ASP Multimedia • Learn SVG, Flash
•• http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/ Offers "tutorials" (more like info packets) in .pdf form on areas such as Desktop Streaming Media Production, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Fundamentals. Often quite technical and product/vendor specific, they are helpful for background understanding.

•• http://tutorials.findtutorials.com/ or http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/ Good sites for the techie in you; vendor/product related but quite helpful for those ridiculous questions such as what exactly is Spanning Tree Protocol and why is it messing up my network; also a good site for quick specific aspects of PhotoShop, DreamWeaver and other apps.

•• http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/ Sun tutorials, short courses. Lots on JAVA
•• http://pd.l2l.org/lrn_software.html - competency checklists on Integrated software packages, HyperStudio, Website creation, Presentation Design, Internet - all in downloadable .pdf format
•• Funding sources - foundation and grant writing http://fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/

For the staff-students:
•• DataBases: Access and AppleWorks - http://pd.l2l.org/lrn_databases.html
•• MultiMedia Presentations: AW SlideShow, LaserDisc hookups, digital camera, sound recorders, file types and formats
•• Spreadsheets: how to integrate, use AppleWorks
•• http://www.atomiclearning.com/freesamples Free Storyboard software-all platforms and tutorials,
•• http://www.atomiclearning.com/ Subscription service ($49.95 ind per yr to access everything!) but there are many parts that are free and they offer the hard to find areas e.g. Graphic Converter, Safari, Finale NotePad, ezMediaMX
•• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm Tech tutorials on the web, ALL AIMED AT TEACHERS, iMovie, Kidspiration, digital cameras, FireWorks to name a few
•• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line.htm All the usual suspects with HyperStudio, MacOSX, Claris HomePage, WebQuests - good starting place; not all are step-by-step tutorials but definitely good stuff
•• http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Tutorials More than tutorials, includes lesson plans, how-tos; Front Page, Office, how to put PowerPoint on the web and how to build sites
•• http://www.ascd.org/frametutorials.html Staff Development- PBL tutorials, etc.
•• http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/ The best site!
•• http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/ Office 2000, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Front Page, WebBoard, Web CT,
•• http://www.actden.com/ MS Office tutorials for Kids
•• http://pw1.netcom.com/~pow/OnlineTutorials.html from around the world, all manner of things but lots for curriculum
•• http://www.adobe.com/products/tips/photoshop.html PhotoShop tips, tricks - not a
•• http://www.lgta.org/ Office, WordPerfect, Lotus

Create Your own tutorials:
•• http://www.mindflash.com/pages/home.asp not free, check pricing
•• http://www.free-ed.net/mainpage02.asp IT, GED, Office
•• http://www.trainingtools.com/default.asp
•• PhotoShop
How to do cool things - like snow capped text! http://robouk.mchost.com/tuts/ps.php
•• HyperStudio: -
•• http://www.learningspace.org/prof_growth/training/Exploratory/Hyperstudio/HS.html
iMovie, PowerPoint, QuickTime: -
•• http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/exhibits/1000026/Step_Guides.html
•• http://robouk.mchost.com/tuts/ PhotoShop, DreamWeaver, PHP Programming and Flash - cool stuff
Eudora - http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/tutorials/
Inspiration: - http://www.tech-bytes.com/Inspiration%20tutorial.htm
Kidspiration: - http://www.inspiration.com/popups/kidstutorial/index.cfm
HTML - http://www.davesite.com/webstation/html/
Math - http://www.math.hmc.edu/calculus/tutorials/
Biology - http://www.biology-online.org/tutorials/home.htm
Programming languages - http://www.programmingtutorials.com/
Phonetics - http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/exhibits/1000072/
Acctg->Zoology - http://www.docnmail.com/ not too bad, don't be put off by the web design
PS: I actually tried a search on "tutorial on parenting" and got a listing for a 3D graphics and animation tutorial on how to parent wings on an angel. http://arcana.daz3d.com/index.php?cat=8 To come full circle, this would be child's play.
The help offered in this column
http://www.pitching.com/conditioning_program.php

http:www.njteacher.org/tutorials - includes many more sites, organized by categories You will also find your “Great Expectations” – tutorials on programs and curriculum offerings. Happy Holidays!