eZedia World e-Newsletter

1. eZediaMX 3.0.3 Update
eZedia is constantly improving and updating our software. More than ever we want to hear from you - tell us what you like, what you don't like and even about the new features you'd like to see. Simply e-mail us at info@ezedia.ca or join the eZedia Forum to post your suggestions.

A new feature in eZediaMX 3.0.3 Update is the expanded Edit Path palette which includes two new tools: Collapse Horizontal and Collapse Vertical. These tools collapse the points on a path horizontally or vertically to create a straight line.
Learn more about Path Editing Tools

Download eZediaMX 3.0.3 Update Today!

2. Apple's QuickTime and eZedia
At its simplest, QuickTime is software that allows both Macintosh and Windows users to play back audio and video on their computers. It is the world's leading cross-platform multimedia technology with more than 150 million copies of QuickTime Player in distribution. There are also more than 20,000 applications (such as eZediaMX) and content CDs that include QuickTime.

eZediaMX utilizes the "architecture" behind the QuickTime software to expand the number of file formats that can be imported and used in our software. eZedia Player then uses QuickTime's underlying multimedia "engine" to play back the rich media. Thanks to the unique interaction between eZediaMX and QuickTime, it provides seamless media integration between Macintosh and Windows.

QuickTime is provided with eZediaMX. If you already have QuickTime, the eZediaMX installer will check to see which version you are running and will update if needed.

Find eZediaMX listed on Apple's QuickTime Authoring Tools page.

Check out eZedia's own QuickTime page!

eZedia recently exhibited at QuickTime Live, the state-of-the-art QuickTime product showcase, in Beverly Hills, California.

3. The Straight and Narrow: A Guide to eZediaMX Path Editing Tools
The Path Object is used to animate objects in your eZediaMX document. There are several new features in the Path Object with version 3. Did you know that you can now animate not only graphics and text, but movies on a path? Just link any of these objects to a path to animate it. Try it out!

Select the Path Object toolbar icon and use the Freeform Path tool to draw a path on the frame.



When you are finished, use the Path Object menu button to select "Edit Path". This palette has some tools you can use to make your path exactly how you want it.

If you've used eZediaMX before, the first two path edit tools will be familiar:

Move Points - Use this tool to move, select, and delete points. Select points by clicking on them or dragging a box around them. Move any selected points by dragging them.

Add Points - Use this tool to add a point on any path segment. Simply click the path where you want to add a point. Click and drag on a path segment to add multiple points along a path. This tool can also be used to extend an existing path by clicking and dragging next to the path's last point.

In the latest version of eZediaMX, there are some new Path Editing tools:

Equalize Points - Use this tool to smooth the points on a path so that they are all the same distance apart.

Collapse Vertical - Use this tool to collapse all the points on the path to a straight vertical line.

Collapse Horizontal - Use this tool to collapse all the points on the path to a straight horizontal line.

When used in combination with the Move Point and Add Point tools, these new tools allow you to create the paths you want quickly and easily.

Path Editing Tools Tip & Trick

4. Making Technology a Reality Through Grants
By Drs. Jane & Michael Madden
Francis Marion University

New forms of software like eZediaMX generate a great deal of excitement at multiple levels. Every educator sees a different use. Moving from a great idea into a tangible reality definitely requires organization and determination. These two attributes can be greatly assisted, though, by additional funding. Grants are the most common way to find those additional resources.

This month, we'd like to share with you one of the great treasures of support for new ideas. An unsung hero in assisting people to make sense of the digital era, and its implications for changing the way we think about the humanities, is the National Endowment for the Humanities, commonly known as NEH - http://www.neh.gov/.

The NEH is a federally funded agency dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. It has a variety of grant competitions targeted at different groups that encourage involvement in the study of the humanities. Corresponding agencies, state councils for the humanities, also exist in every state and have additional grant competitions available for interested individuals and groups.

At the national level, the NEH has program officers that are very helpful in the process of applying for grants. They are available to discuss the project with you at the idea stage and will even offer advice, supply examples, and review your proposal, given sufficient lead time. What more could you ask for? They're a terrific resource and often under appreciated.

We would like to direct your attention to two competitions in particular:
1. Humanities Focus Grants
2. Exemplary Education Projects

Humanities Focus Grants
Humanities Focus Grants, typically of one year in duration, enable educators to consider together significant humanities topics or to map institutional directions for teaching the humanities. Awarded through an expedited review cycle, these small grants allow educators to consider substantive questions and chart institutional directions in a timely way. Humanities Focus Grants are particularly appropriate and are encouraged for first-time applicants.

Exemplary Education Projects
Exemplary Education Projects, often of multiyear duration, enable educators to engage in more extensive consideration of humanities subjects and their teaching. It funds the development of humanities materials, and ways to disseminate humanities scholarship and teaching practices.

To see the extended discussion of these two grants, go to:
http://www.neh.gov/

As they note, the Humanities Focus Grants are a good place to start if you've never tried for an NEH grant previously. They range from $10,000 to $25,000 and have a relatively short time span of approximately a year or so. The Exemplary Education Projects are a more substantial effort, lasting for up to three years and ranging up to around the $250,000 mark.

As most of you are aware, grants often have a cost sharing component - if the funding agency is giving you $1, then you have to also raise another $1 on your own. Sometimes those dollars can be through in-kind expenses, contributions, or real dollars. In the case of the Humanities Focus Grants, no cost sharing is required. For Exemplary Education Projects, only 15% of total project costs are requested for the cost sharing component.

To see a complete listing of all the competitive programs at NEH and their deadlines, go to:
http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html

Because of the inherent capabilities of eZediaMX to adapt to a wide-range of applications, it is a natural resource for the technology component that the NEH encourages to be included. In the words of NEH, "These grants may support opportunities for school teachers to develop model content applicable to established frameworks and standards; for college and university faculty to plan major changes in the humanities curriculum; or for schools and neighboring cultural and educational institutions to conduct joint humanities study projects for current and future teachers." There is a focus on curricular development and demonstration projects, as well as materials development, and dissemination.

Keep in mind that the NEH is but one potential source for external funding that might assist you in making your ideas come to life. There are literally hundreds of grants out there from corporations, foundations, and government agencies designed to address a variety of needs. Start checking them out today.

About the Authors
Dr. Jane Madden is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Francis Marion University and is the Director of the Grants Development Program on campus. Dr. Michael Madden is a Professor in the School of Education. Both are the co-authors of two successful Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) grants. eZedia has been a research partner in both federal grants. No remuneration was received for the writing of this article.

5. What's New at eZedia

Proudly proclaim you made your project using eZediaMX 3.0! Add an eZedia Badge to any eZediaMX project. Place it on any color, pattern or image background!

eZedia Forum
eZedia is excited to offer you a new way to connect, share ideas, and discuss our eZediaMX media integration software. Be sure to check out this discussion area for great ideas and innovations, read the FAQs or post a message or question. Explore the eZedia Forum

Online Opinion
Your opinion counts. In the bottom right hand corner of every page on the new eZedia web site, you will see a [+] icon. Click to rate the page, then fill out the comment card. Your feedback will help us further improve our eZedia web site and satisfy our users.

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Look for the next issue of eZedia World in April 2002.

eZedia World welcomes subscriber feedback, story ideas as well as editorial contributions to our monthly newsletter. Please e-mail us your ideas at ezediaworld@ezedia.ca.

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