Converting files helps students access them regardless of the software they may be using. Putting them in .pdf format ups the security on your files as users can’t readily make changes to .pdf files. I often post items to district-wide shared drives which literally 1000s of users access and it’s reassuring to know that I have a secure paper trail in the event a rogue copy gets loose!:)
Word allows you to do this quite easily. Simply choose .pdf as your file type when saving a document. I tend to keep duplicate copies of items I share with others; one .doc & one .pdf. This may seem extraneous, but by keeping an editable version, I can quickly update a rubric, newsletter or other doc and always know that I have the final available. It’s kind of like having a template. Plus I always know that the pdf is the official—best version.
File conversion tools such as zamzar and media converter give you many more options and not just for working with text documents. The ability to convert to various audio, video and image files means anything you create can easily be viewed by any user. Here are just a few examples: tiff, thumbnail, html, pdf, jpg.
A quick trick like this is especially useful as you consider multi-platform delivery. Students (and parents) access materials from a variety of endpoints devices; computers, phones, tablets etc. The ability (or willingness) of each individual manufacturer and operating system to support various file types can be frustrating. File conversion gives you a way to speak the language of each user.
I really like the thumbnail option. Sometimes titles just aren’t enough. If you have a variety of resources for a particular unit of study, displaying thumbnails helps your students select what they’re looking for without having to click back and forth.
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