View the video documentary of "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power".  "In the style of the acclaimed CIVIL WAR series, THE PRIZE tells the epic history of oil - how it has dominated global politics, shaken the world economy, and transformed our century. Shot on location in Azerbaijan, Egypt, England, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Russia, Scotland, Turkey, and the United States, the series features fascinating characters, never-before-seen archival footage, newly filmed segments, and interviews with the people who shaped the oil industry."Check it out:   http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3602293093015423860#

Dr. Allen Partridge, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, will focus on the differences and similarities between Adobe Captivate 4 and Adobe Captivate 5 during this one hour session intended for people with experience using prior versions of Adobe Captivate. August 4, 2010 - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/EasternCheck it out:  http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=1673710&loc=en_us

"While many e-Learning producers are struggling to understand how the iPad may be useful in online instruction, one sales training team has already been successful in using Apple’s new device in blended instruction in the classroom. Here’s their story."Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/491/

Get pre-created animated slide templates at a reasonable cost.  Most sets are $29 and include 30 variations of the slide.  Insert the slide into your presentation and update the text.  Slides include animation effects. Check it out:  http://www.presentationpro.com/power_slides.aspx

Do you want to hide the title bars and/or navigation controls in Articulate Engage?  There's a widget for that!  Purchase the widget for $10.  While you are on the site, check out the other widgets and the Articulate templates for sale.Edit the XML file provided - http://screenr.com/tWW has detailed instructions for editing.  I created a folder in my working directory to make the next step easierPublish your Articulate course and then put the edited XML file along with the "null.swf" file in the "player" folder of the published directory.Each time you re-publish, make sure you copy the files again since Articulate wipes out the folder when re-publishing.Check it out:  http://elearningenhanced.com/products/engage-controls

Slideshop.com has more than 1000 templates for download.  You purchase slides sets which have 10-30 slide templates.  Each set costs about $30 but there's a special 30% on the site now.  Sign up for the newsletter and get a free slide each week.  You can also download a sampler pak with lots of good example.  You can easily customize the templates to work with your corporate branding.Check it out:  http://slideshop.com/

I'm particpating in the Practical Conference on Commincations - October 7 - 9 in Nashville, Tennessee.  This is a jammed-packed conference that includes a pre-conference workshop on Adobe Captivate 5.Train SMEs in the Design of Rapid e-Learning MaterialsInstructional designer Debbie Richards defines the roles of the subject matter expert (SME) in developing new training systems. She also presents the information design techniques that the SME must be aware of in order to successfully support an e-Learning program under development. If you are an instructional designer or if you’re designing instructions for print or on-line documentation, you’ll find Debbie’s forthright discussion of working with SMEs a useful way to improve your interaction with the people who provide content for documentation and training products.Check it out:  http://pcoc.stc-etc.org/

Project Draw is a browser-based diagraming utility that lets you draw to your hearts content, without the need for plugins of any kind.  You can import a DWF file or image.  You can export the file as a DWF, PDF or graphic.Check it out:  http://draw.labs.autodesk.com/ADDraw/draw.html   Instructional video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN60Ob5x7f0&feature=user

Just got my copy of E-Learning Uncovered: Articulate Studio '09 - I've included a direct link to the book on Amazon's website.  If you are new to Articulate Studio, you will love this book.  It contains step-by-step instructions along with great tips.  If you already use Articulate Studio, you will still find good information including timesaver shortcuts and special information for getting more from the software.  The accompanying website has a good resource page:  http://www.e-learninguncovered.com/resources.html.  The page includes guides for the color schemes and a football game (free) created using Quizmaker.There are also resources for another book from the same publisher - E-Learning Uncovered: From Concept to Execution.  http://www.e-learninguncovered.com/c2e.html has forms, checklists and a sample chapter from the book.

I'm speaking at the Working Today - Preparing for Tomorrow - Houston ASTD Conference.  I hope to see you there!Thursday, September 23,2010 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM CDTThe conference will focus on three critical areas: technology, business development and talent management.  The Keynote speaker is Chester Elton, co-author of The Carrot Principle, who will shares his knowledge, experience on reward, recognition and empowering organizational teams to greatness.  Breakout sessions will feature programs to provide an effective learning environment for professionals to define themselves and support their industries. Special emphasis will be placed on the critical components of technology, business development, talent management, and how integration must take place at both individual and organizational levels.Check it out:  http://astdhouston.org/en/cev/402