News

Order a Project Any Time on Any Day and Receive your Download Immediately

TechnoKids Inc. has just launched an updated download system. This addition to the new TechnoKids Storefront means that customers will receive their orders even faster. Orders for one or two projects will now be processed immediately.

No longer will customers have to wait for regular business hours. Instead, project orders placed on Sunday afternoon or Wednesday night, will be available for download right away. This change in the electronic download system will help teachers prepare for their upcoming classes without having to worry about how quickly they can access the instructional materials.

Scott Gerard, president and founder of TechnoKids Inc. states, "There was a need for TechnoKids to update our ordering system. Our customers are living in different time zones all over the world. We needed a 24 hour store that made it fast and easy for teachers to order product."

TechnoKids Inc. has been making improvements to their online store over the past year, to make purchasing TechnoKids Computer Curriculum easier. Several features were added to the catalog including promotions, advanced search feature, and icons with the Office version to avoid confusion when ordering. The latest update to the TechnoKids Storefront means that ordering projects just became simpler.

When a customer places an order for one or two projects, the product is available as an electronic download. If the customer places the order using a credit card, the secure system authorizes the payment. Once authorized, an email is sent to the customer that contains a link. When the link is clicked, the product can then be downloaded to the customer computer. It is just that simple!

The secure download system was designed by Bob Gill from i2bGlobal.com, which is a local Canadian company. Bob commented about the new addition to the TechnoKids Storefront, "i2bGlobal.com specializes in custom e-commerce business solutions. We were pleased to be able to give TechnoKids customers quick access to project downloads."

TechnoKids customers placing orders for one or two projects, using a purchase order will still need to wait to download their instructional materials. Purchase orders are manually processed. This means that an electronic download using this payment method will be issued during regular business orders. Only customers using the online store and paying with a credit card will be able to download projects immediately.

Teaching Ideas for Windows Live Movie Maker

TechnoKids Inc. has recently updated several projects with instructions for Windows Live Movie Maker. TechnoProducer, TechnoDrama, and TechnoCommercial are now available for Microsoft's latest version of movie making software.

Windows Live Movie Maker is a free download for Windows 7 and Vista users. Although Windows XP and Vista came with Movie Maker, the latest version of Microsoft's operating system does not include this software. Instead, users must download it from http://download.live.com/moviemaker.

Windows Live Movie Maker is different from previous versions of the software. Microsoft wanted to create a simpler program for editing photos and video to produce movies and slideshows. The TechnoKids projects take advantage of the new features available in the program.

In TechnoProducer, students film video footage and then edit the content to produce a simple movie. Fun new sample movies are included to offer inspiration.

In TechnoDrama, elementary students give a modern twist to a nursery rhyme. The digital story is filmed using basic equipment and edited using the fun features available in Windows Live Movie Maker.

In TechnoCommercial, middle school students create a commercial. They study sample advertisements to study selling and camera techniques. Later, these methods are applied when making to their own commercial.

TechnoKids customers that own a licensed version of TechnoProducer, TechnoDrama, or TechnoCommercial will qualify for upgrade pricing when ordering the Windows Live Movie Maker version. To learn more email support@technokids.com.

TechnoKids Releases Professional Development Materials for Office 2007

TechnoKids has released a set of technology projects designed to prepare teachers to use Microsoft Office 2007. The instructional materials include activities to learn how to use popular applications efficiently such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each project includes a teacher guide, workbook, and resource files. The materials can be used to offer a teacher training workshop or as an independent study course.

Vice President, Christa Love, explains the rationale for the new teacher products, "Many schools are beginning to update their software in the computer lab. The latest version of Microsoft Office is significantly different from previous Office versions. The removal of the menu bar, creation of the ribbon, and added new features, require teachers to update their knowledge of Microsoft Office. To make this transition easier, TechnoKids has created teacher training materials."

Most adult training materials are designed for people working in a business office environment. Often the scenarios are not relevant to an education environment. For this reason, TechnoKids designed activities specifically for teachers. For example, lesson plans explain how to create a handout in Microsoft Word, electronic grade book in Microsoft Excel, and open house presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Interwoven throughout technology projects are reflective activities that encourage teachers to make connections to their practice.

To help teachers transfer their learning in the classroom, worksheets have been included that explain how to integrate technology into curriculum. Step by step instructions outline how to complete a task. Teachers can use the detailed lesson plans to teach their own students.

To learn more about the professional development instructional materials for Office 2007 in North America, call 1.800.221.7921 or email information@technokids.com to locate a TechnoKids Associate in your area.

The Transition to Office 2007 is Made Easier with TechnoKids Computer Curriculum

TechnoKids Inc. has more than forty technology projects for Office 2007. TechnoKids began creating a product line for Office 2007 in anticipation that teachers would need updated instructional materials. The materials make using the new software easy because each technology project includes a teacher guide, workbook, and resource files.

TechnoKids customers appreciate the creation of the new instructional materials. Ryan Bibby, a Grade 8 teacher, from John Knox Christian School in Oakville, Ontario, states, "We have been using the TechnoKids product for years. When our school updated the computers to Office 2007 this year, the IT committee purchased an updated set of curriculum for teachers. Having the new materials made the transition to Office 2007 easier."

The curriculum development team at TechnoKids Inc. is pleased that teachers are finding the new Office 2007 technology projects easy to use. Hella Comat, a teacher for thirty years, joined the team to assist with the update to the instructional materials. She commented on the release of the Office 2007 projects, "When the curriculum team began to update the TechnoKids projects, we all realized the importance of having activities that taught students how to use the new features in Office 2007. For this reason, not only did we update the instructions and create new templates, we also added activities that included many of the fun new program options." The curriculum development team, not only revised the activities but they also developed additional resource materials. Customer feedback demonstrated a need for assessment tools. The technology projects include more review questions, skill reviews, self-assessment tools, and marking sheets. Hella believes that teachers are going to appreciate the improvements.

To learn more about the TechnoKids Office 2007 product line refer to the project matrix.