i-teach.. therefore i am…

I’d like to learn how to create eBooks. ePub sounds like its the best format to go with, as it is the beginning of an industry standard and is supported by Apple and its iPad.

The reason I love the iPad over other eBook readers, is that it supports basic HTML5 – which allows for the inclusion of multimedia. For a long time you have been able to create eBooks using programs like Sigil and Calibre. These are free OSS products which support the basic ePub standard. Apple’s Pages then had the ability to export documents with video embedded to create an ePub document which would support multimedia embedded. It meant though that Apple was using proprietary software to create a proprietary format, and hijack the epub format.

I don’t have a Mac any longer, and am back to Windows. I needed to find a product which would allow me to start creating eBooks with the primary aim the inclusion of multimedia of sound and vision. Here are the ones I found:

• Sigil - Great to create simple eBooks (think static almost ‘PDF’)
• Calibre - This also has more widely supported conversion options, as well as some fancy aspects of creating content from RSS feeds and automated content from websites. It also has a built in ‘library’ interface for your eBook management with a web-server to support the interface. For FOSS, its great to see such a full-featured commercial product.
• Adobe InDesign CS 5.5 – The really disappointing thing about it being CS 5.5 is the subtle changes from CS 5. I have purchased a site license for CS 5 for school – and not the maintenance option. In CS 5, you can export as an ePub, but doesnt support the HTML 5 embedding of multimedia. It packages the eBook for Adobe’s desktop reader – Digital Editions. The CS 5.5 update for InDesign however specifically includes an update to the export tool which allows the exporting of multimedia. There is no patch to support the upgrade to CS 5.5 from CS 5 – its a re-install, new version situation. Bummer!
• Jutoh - I may have found the holy grail of eBook creation. It is basically a desktop publishing client – albeit simple – but allows exporting of embedded multimedia files. It is platform independent (client for most OS’s). It cost’s money.

Some sites I have been reading to find out more information about ePub documents and creation:

• http://www.elizabethcastro.com/
• http://ereads.com/2011/06/dont-get-too-used-to-epub.html
• http://tomorrowsbook.com/20100409147/dev-tools/news/epub-creators-epub-sucks.html
• http://www.ghacks.net/2011/04/22/firefox-epub-reader-read-epub-ebooks-online/
• http://www.ghacks.net/2011/05/29/create-ebooks-in-epub-format-with-grabmybooks-for-firefox/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/02/data-visualization-modern-approaches/

Falling further in love with my iPad. Trying not to.

OneNote / MobileNoter

I have always had a respectful affair with OneNote. It allows you to keep on top of massive amounts of information, but only if you are dedicated to using it. Its a great application with a tablet – but I never seem to have one available for use with it. I persevere. What has made me very interested in the product is the academic plugin, and the upcoming 1:1 agenda for schools – and how that fits into my school’s requirements.

I needed to be able to access my OneNote notebooks from my iPad – and I’ve been playing around with an application which might just do it. MobileNoter. It syncs the content of your selected notebooks via WiFi, and does a pretty good job. It also supports the recording/embedding of audio (think podcast you make for your students) and automatically transfers it to the right page and location – including notes you may have taken. Im going to play with it more. I just wish the iPad had a camera (or does it)

check out…

Camera for iPad

This fancy little product allows you to take a picture using your iPhone and beam it directly to your iPad. Where I see great value of it is during meetings where you may need to take a photo of minutes of a meeting, a photo of something being worked on for a project – or even just examples of student work. With the same application open on the iPad (99c US) – and the iPhone. You don’t need to actually pay for it twice and it works pretty well; supporting BlueTooth and WiFi.

I’ll keep playing.

Loving the iPad currently, but competitors are coming…

http://tek.io/bpj9VF

This is a work in progress from my end – but has had great feedback from my staff on using the ICT Essential Learnings.

The aim was to just present alternatives. Doing it one way? Consider another!

Using the ICT Essential Learnings - a practical approach

Our Director-General (Julie Grantham) released updated code of conduct for Education Queensland employees. Specifically of interest is conduct in relation to ICTs and how we use Social Networks with students.

In my official capacity at the school I am in, this is my understanding of these changes and I will be stating as such:

• Don’t use your personal mobile phone to communicate with a student (verbal/sms) unless approved by Principal or Supervisor. I would suggest if this is occurring, please email your HOD outlining which students/class you use this communication for and for what. Try to keep a copy of the message saved somewhere if you have that facility.

• Always use your school email address to communicate with students – and ensure they use their EQ/school one wherever possible to communicate with you. Some students like to use their personal email address as they rarely check their EQ one. Encourage them to check it, or show them how to forward on their EQ email to their private account to alert them that you have emailed them.

• If you are using video in your class, ensure that you document what context you are using for. Talk to your HOD to let them know if you are.

• If you have students on Facebook or MySpace – get rid of them! This isn’t demoting to limited profile, this is deleting them. My personal policy is no one who has been at school within the last 12 months. This is any school in Education Queensland.

• You have a responsibility to make sure your Facebook/Myspace personal profile is appropriately protected from students and others. If you don’t know how to change privacy settings, make sure you ask someone who does (or google it). This is for your own professional safety and good personal practice also.

This impacts on our ability to use Web2.0 applications slightly – however I notice they have omitted the use of Twitter – this is a good thing, as it may mean the department is considering the official use of excellent tools such as Twitter in the classroom.

How do you feel these changes to the code of conduct acknowledges the way educators work in 2009 and beyond?

The updated code of conduct can be found here

–snip from http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/pdfs/code_of_conduct.pdf –

2.2.2 (b) Interactions with Students

• You must discourage and reject any advances of a sexual nature initiated by a student with whom you have a professional relationship, or where a prohibition on sexual conduct applies.Your interactions with students must be and be seen to be professional at all times; that is, you must not engage in behaviour that raises a reasonable suspicion that you have engaged in, or will engage in, sexual misconduct; or that the standards applying to the professional employee student relationship have or will be breached.

• You must not communicate with students using a personal mobile phone, either verbally or by text message unless prior approval has been given by your Principal or supervisor. You must discourage students from such communication with staff. Use of a departmental mobile phone must be for official purposes only.

• You must ensure that you do not communicate with students from a private or personal email address. School or institute policies which allow for communication with students via departmental email should be for official purposes only.

• You must not use personal cameras or mobile phones to photograph students unless prior approval has been given by your Principal or supervisor. The use of a personal or school mobile phone or camera to photograph students must be for official purposes only. Parental or custodial approval must be given for the publication of photographs of students.

• You must not use internet social networks such as Face Book, My Space or YouTube to contact or access present students enrolled in any school or institute.

• If you use internet social networks in your personal time you must ensure that the content is appropriate and private, and that you restrict access to specific people who are not students.

–end snip–

Thoughts?

I have to constantly straddle the security vs the practicality restrictions with students using school owned devices. Software restrictions, account and filesystem permissions all constantly ensure that ones time is often spent trying to circumvent the security you put in place yourself.

Enter Portable Apps

Portable apps are applications which can run entirely without installation. They range from pirated versions of Office and Adobe CS4, through to open-source ported solutions like OpenOffice. OpenOffice is an excellent ‘thing’ to have around when dealing with students work. It will open almost any file that you need, from the pesky MS Works files, through to the old school WordPerfect.

Very handy!

Edutopia by The George Lucas (yes, of StarWars fame) Educational Foundation has an excellent resource about the Top 10 tips for working/teaching with New Media.

Briefly summarised, these are:

1. Break the Digital Ice
   • Use Web 2.0 solutions like VoiceThread to get better aquainted with your students.
2. Find Your Classroom Experts
   • Take advantage of your student’s technical KnowHow – ask your learners, who is doing what in their spare time with technology?
3. Get Off to a Good Start
   • At the beginning of the year, use Web 2.0 tools to help students better manage their own learning.
4. Think Globally
   • Turn your classroom into a Gateway for learning about the world.
5. Find What You Need
   • Be creative with your supplies and furnishing. There are a load of US-based examples to put you in touch with corporate.
6. Make Meaning from Word Clouds
   • Use word clouds to encourage lively conversations about words with tools that convert text into visual displays
7. Work Better, Together
   • Use Collaborative workspaces in your classroom.
8. Open a Back Channel
   • Take input on how your class works. Ask for feedback
9. Make it Visual
   • Use visuals to inspire, create curiosity, brainstorm and engage your learners.
10. Use the Buddy System
    • Spend time with your peers sharing and collaborating. We have loads of resources available to us in Education Queensland. Consider the use of the ListServs, ICT Community and the fantastic guys at the Learning Innovation Centre.

Check this document out for yourself. Its excellent!

We use Audacity extensively at school. Unfortunately because of restrictions on the students login, it is difficult to use the LAME library to export the files to Mp3s when created a pod-cast.

What I have found works a treat then is to use something called FlicFlac - this is a single executable that allows you to drag/drop your completed WAV file onto the program, and it simply exports it to Mp3. Super simple!

Further info:
Audacity – http://audacity.sourceforge.net
FlicFlac – http://sector-seven.net/software/flicflac

Not Flexible Learning Spaces.

So what’s the difference?

Stephen Heppell says the main difference is that Flexible Learning Spaces sometimes requires the input of an ‘expert’ to reconfigure the learning space. You might need the janitor to unlock some walls, or a simple cherry picker to adjust a layout.

Agile learning means that the learning space can be modified and adapted on the fly.

Stairwells take on new meaning, (assuming you are not focussing on the WHS aspect) – they can be readily used for a brief amphitheatre reconstruction.

The thing that stood out from the webinar I participated in, was that Stephen said we should even be reconsidering the use of data projectors in the room, because of the technical nature of them at times, as well as their light requirements. Adding lighting control such as curtains or blinds simply blocks a room out and we need students to engage with their environment.

This doesn’t always have practical application, but its certainly some interesting food for thought. He is recommending the use of LCD flat panels – even multiples in a classroom, instead of just the one big screen at the front.

He also talks about the use of mirrors to allow students to engage with the teacher, as well as other learners.

Playfulness, Scale, Collaboration & Mutuality

“Usness”

Other Links:

http://principalville.blogspot.com/2009/08/agile-learning-spaces.html

http://heppelltv.blogspot.com/