| In my last article, I answered the first part of my reader's email request. I discussed Adobe Certification and the different types of exams available. In this follow-up article, I will discuss some of the training resources available for preparing for the exam. As we all know, the amount of knowledge about Adobe programs is exhaustive and continuously increasing. It's only common sense to begin our search for ACE training material on the Adobe website. There you can find links to many types of resources. http://www.adobe.com/training/ You will want to start by studying the Adobe Prep Guides. There is one for each software exam. http://partners.adobe.com/public/ace/main.html Books and Video Everyone has their favorite way to learn. Mine is through books and video. I find that training videos are a good place to start when you are learning to use a new software. These videos generally give you a visual guided tour of the workspace and cover most of the basic tasks that you will need to know to "get started" in these programs. Most training videos do not give an in-depth coverage of the software. To get this in-depth knowledge, I turn to books. We are lucky that there are many great books available through Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Several publishers have worked with Adobe to create the best books possible. Some of these books cover a software program comprehensively. I would suggest that you read at least one of this type of book. Other books concentrate on one aspect of the software such as creating animation in Flash. Another type of book is a compilation of task-based step-by-step "recipes". These make great reference books and are good for finding quick answers. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to find in these books. Adobe Press and Peachpit Press Book Series Classroom in a Book – comprehensive coverage Real World – comprehensive coverage Studio Techniques – essential features of a software How-To's (Essential Techniques) – essential features of a software Learn by Video – Video training course covering the basics Visual QuickPro Guide – project-based step-by-step guide, WOW – less formally structured, not comprehensive, great for inspiration and new techniques Adobe Developer Library – O'Reilly Media Cookbook – concentrates on one aspect of the software Essentials – essential features of a software Rough Cuts – concentrates one aspect of the software Lynda.com Hands-On-Training – comprehensive Lynda.com Video Training (DVD and online) – covers the basics Online and classroom training For those of you who prefer the structure of course-based learning, you can find several places for classroom training. Instructor-led Courses – Adobe Authorized Training Centers Adobe Online Training – element k http://www.adobe.elementk.com/ Total Training Online Courses http://www.totaltraining.com/ Other Places of Interest You can find useful information at several other places. I list these at the end of my article because the information on these sites are organized less formally than a printed book or classroom setting. Because of the expanse of information, it is easy to spend hours at just one of these locations. Rather than using these sites as the basis of your training, I find these websites are better for support and inspiration. On Demand Seminars – These free seminars from Adobe introduce the new software upgrades and discuss new features. Design Center – Great for inspiration, studying specific techniques and learning from others Online Forums – If you have a specific question or problem, this is a quick way to get suggestions for several approaches to solving your problem. Developer Center – This is a great resource for Flash developers. You will find sample applications, code, articles and more. Join us in the Flash forum. |
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