Using iBooks Author: Reflecting on the Evolution of the "Book"

          As part of my ongoing work creating an English 8 course for iTunes University, I began the process of constructing an e-book entitled, Literature Circles: Reigniting a Passion for Reading in the Secondary Classroom, that synthesizes the various activities, projects and rubrics that I have compiled over the years for a Literature Circles unit. This process has caused me to reflect on how the essential concept of the "book" has evolved exponentially with the advent of e-books and new digital mediums. Using the Mac App iBooks Author, I am able to compile a huge range of materials, from basic Word documents, to YouTube videos. Within iBooks Author, and through the complimentary service Bookry, there are seemingly endless interactive widgets available.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of my  e-book on Literature Circles.

          Coincidentally, while I was in the midst of this process, the CBC radio show Ideas ran the episode, "Opening The Book" which examines the ongoing evolution of the book:

"The book has stayed pretty much the same for over 500 years: a bunch of paper pages between covers. It's been both finite and easily grasped. But our digitally-connected world is forcing us to re-imagine what books could be."
                         http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/07/19/opening-the-book-1/

          As I listened to this episode, I thought about my students, and how different their concept of a book might be from mine. I see myself as fairly traditional in that although I do read the occasional e-book, I still yearn for the old "pages between a cover" hard copy version. I love the look of books, I love the smell of books and I love to own books. My over flowing book shelves are a testament to this. But at the same time, both professionally and personally, I have been moving towards integrating digital modes of writing and reading. Inspired by my own foray into the world of blogging, I plan to implement e-portfolios and student websites into my English classes this September to supplement the more traditional "pen and paper" writing that continues to be a necessary component of the class, given that majority of my students are still required to write the paper version, rather than the e-version of the English 10 and 12 Provincial Exam.

Using iBooks Author, I am able to insert YouTube clips of my students' iMovie Trailers for their novels.

          Interestingly, as I compiled my e-book on Literature Circles, I included possible suggestions for high interest novels, and referenced ISBN numbers for hard copy versions. Only in hindsight did I see the irony. Despite immersing myself in new digital mediums, I am still clearly biased in my perception of what constitutes a book. My experience of reading still largely involves the concrete, tangible experience of holding a paperback or hard cover book in my hands, flipping over a page and folding over the edge to mark my spot. My students' experience of reading will be something quite different. It may involve the ability and indeed, the expectation, to be able interact with the text in ways that I am only beginning to understand.
          As I continue to create my iTunes U course for English 8, linking websites, videos, podcasts, blogs, ibooks and Apps, my own perception of what constitutes a learning resource must continue to evolve and expand in order to best serve my students. And so, the overflowing bookshelves in every room of my house and classroom, have now extended to the virtual bookshelf on my iPad.
                                        I may need to get more memory on my next device.

Excerpt from Chapter 3 of my e-book on Literature Circles.

Collaborating with Apple Canada: Creating iTunes University Courses

Before: Pristine Agenda

After: Numerous scribbled notes!

     Typically, as teachers, we are bombarded with a wide variety of prospects for professional development. But recently, one of these numerous emails caught my eye: an opportunity, along with some of my Surrey School District colleagues, to collaborate with Apple Canada to create a course for iTunes University. And so, for the past two days, I have been immersed in learning an entirely new skill set. My experience on Day 1 was analogous to the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In other words, the learning didn't initially come easy!

     Overwhelmed and befuddled by the immensity of the task at hand, I couldn't quite wrap my head around the wealth of technical and detailed information that was being presented by the immensely talented and helpful Apple support staff. However, as endless resources and procedures were rattled off, I gradually began to digest and process the information. We were carefully led through the steps to first register as an iTunes U instructor, creating a profile and description of our course. For me, English 8. Then, we began to familiarize ourselves with the features of the iTunes U Course Manager.
     By the end of Day 1, I had begun to construct an Outline for my course, first in a Word Document and then eventually transferring this information onto the Course Manager site. Ultimately, the goal is to link valuable digital resources to each aspect of the Course Outline. As well, each aspect must connect to a specific Prescribed Learning Outcome. Speaking for myself, it has been a good many years since I have taken a close look at the PLOs for Language Arts.
      By Day 2, what began as an insurmountable task, became an exciting and somewhat addicting scavenger hunt for resources and materials to support my course. Luckily, having already begun the journey of integrating digital learning into my classes this year, I had experimented with various Apps, such as iMovie, iBooks, iBook Author, Puppet Pals and Book Creator. I am supplementing these resources with links to sites such as freerice.com and Quizlet as well as with my own activities and assignments. Fuelled by good food, much coffee and the support of my colleagues, I managed to complete a good chunk of my course by the end of Day 2, and even loaded a preview of my course onto my iTunes U book shelf. What a great feeling of accomplishment!

The lounge at Apple Canada in Richmond.

     I will have the opportunity to meet again, for two additional days, towards the end of August with Apple and Surrey District staff to trouble shoot any issues and continue to build my course. The intention is to submit it for approval and publication on iTunes U by the end of September. Despite the immense amount of work that needs to be done between now and then, I am grateful that through this collaborative Pro D opportunity, I am well on my way to developing a new and exciting set of skills that will not only be of benefit to my students, but ultimately to teachers and students worldwide!

My colleagues hard at work on Day 2.

Below is a video that provides an overview of my English 8 iTunes U course:

Shifting into Summer- And the Learning Continues

As we near the end of the school year, I find myself filled with conflicting emotions; exhaustion from hours of marking and tutorials, relief that I have, for the most part, guided my students towards the successful completion of their class, and finally, joyful anticipation of the summer months ahead.

My students also seem to be experiencing a range of emotions. The grade 12s are feeling anxious about final exams and post-secondary acceptance, nostalgic about their five years of high school coming to a close, and excited about the new experiences and challenges that lay ahead. However, many of my younger students are most definitely less ambivilent, unequivocally overjoyed to be transitioning into summer vacation. Even those who may have summer school in their future, have resigned themselves to four weeks of study before their "freedom" begins.

For myself, professionally, it has been a year of new opportunities and challenges. But just like my students, I am ready for a rest. I have, however, made the decision to participate in an exciting summer Pro D opportunity, collaborating with Apple Canada, along with several of my colleagues, to create courses for iTunes University. When I initially heard of the opportunity, I was immediately intrigued. The chance to partner with Apple Canada provides a unique learning experience for me. So you can imagine my surprise when I shared my excitement with my family. Their response was along the lines of,

"So, you are going to work. For free. In the summer?!"

I suppose to some individuals who do not work within the teaching profession, this may be a foreign concept, but I would argue that many teachers are inherently curious, and generally seek out learning opportunities wherever, and whenever they may be. For me, the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices. And don't worry, when the learning is done, there is a hammock with my name on it, beside a tranquil lake, on Texada Island.

Have a wonderful summer!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Technology Generation Gap: Introducing iMovie to English 12 students

          I think we assume that all teenagers are inherently tech-saavy. Recently, after having successfully integrated iMovie into a component of an English 8 project for the novel The Outsiders, I set out to do the same for my English 12 class as we embarked on a culminating activity for William Shakespeare's Hamlet. When I asked the class how many of them were familiar with iMovie, a solitary student raised their hand. When I had previously asked the same of my English 8 class, the majority of students raised their hands. What a difference a few year makes...the grade 8s had begun their technology immersion in Elementary school, while the grade 12s were still relative newcomers.
         Having established some confidence in the "user friendly" nature of the iMovie App through previous experimentation, I was fairly certain that with relatively little technical instruction, my grade 12 students would quickly become proficient. Introducing iMovie trailers to my students was akin to watching a four year old opening presents on Christmas morning. Exclamations of "Wow!"and, "That's soooo cool!"echoed through the classroom. After some time to experiment and familiarize themselves with the basic functions of the App, within two class periods, students had scripted, filmed and uploaded their Hamlet iMovie trailers to my teacher YouTube account. And so, within a relatively short period of time, I was able to successfully bridge the "Technology Generation Gap" between my grade 8 and my grade 12 students.
       
          Hamlet iMovie Trailer samples:

Sullivan Heights Technology Innovation Grant- A Time For Reflection

          As we near the end of the school year, and by extension the end of our Technology Innovation Grant, I was recently interviewed by one of the teachers who was instrumental in applying for, and gathering evidence in support of the grant, including evidence of innovative technologies and/or teaching practices that Sullivan Heights teachers have integrated into their classrooms.
          I must admit, I was initially quite hesitant to engage in the interview process, especially as it was being recorded for inclusion in a larger presentation. And quite honestly, my first thought was,
          "I don't really think I've done that much this year..."
          I cautioned Nicole that I hadn't prepared anything specifically for the interview, and that as it was 7:20am, I wasn't sure how animated and/or coherent I would actually be. Much to my surprise, however, as Nicole led me through a series of questions on topics ranging from my use of webnode, to Twitter, to iPad Apps, to emailing parents and students through Mastergrade, and embarking on student led conferences, the interview was over before I knew it. With a distinct feeling of relief and confidence in the power of Nicole's editing capabilities, I didn't give the process any further thought.
          Until, that is, Nicole sent me the youtube link to my interview. And quite honestly, my first thought was,
          "Holy cow, I've done a lot this year!"
          As teachers, we don't really get much "down time" to meaningfully reflect on our teaching practices. And we certainly don't often have individuals who are interested enough that they want to interview us about them! Although I did initially feel somewhat self conscious and awkward, probably much in the same way my students do when I ask them to reflect on their learning, I am now very thankful to have been "forced" to reflect on the professional growth and learning opportunities that I have given this year. Although this blog offers me an opportunity to examine and comment on various activities and experiences, I don't often take the opportunity to read back over my entries once they have been posted.
           This interview process afforded me the insight that my participation in the sd36 Digital Learning Series and my various technology initiatives in support of our Technology Innovation Grant have empowered me, and by extension my students,  in ways that I couldn't have imagined in September. Having now been provided with a much needed opportunity to look back over a year of change, challenge and innovation, I can look ahead to further learning, exploration and growth for the 2013-14 school year.      

Facilitating Oral Language- Decreasing Student Anxiety with Book Creator

          Statistics claim that people have a greater fear of public speaking than of death. Combine this inherent fear with an increasing dependence on digital communication, and I see many of my students struggling to meet even basic oral language learning outcomes. Recently, as part of a combined public speaking/myths, legends and fairy tales English 8 unit, I encouraged my students to begin by finding a story that sparked their interest, whether it was a traditional Grimm Brothers fairy tale, or a legend or myth specific to a particular culture. I then challenged them to create an adapted version of their chosen text using the App Book Creator. Working individually, or collaborating with a partner, they first had to determine the significant events of the original story. Then making use of this condensed summary, they began to create their adapted version. Book Creator allows users to create text, import pictures and most importantly for the purpose of developing oral language skills, record voice. I narrowed their focus and asked my students to concentrate on vocal expression, pacing and volume as they took turns recording their voices to accompany the text they wrote. With iPads in hand, they set off to quiet corners of the school to record their text and craft their adapted stories. As always, I cautioned them to keep a close eye on their iPads, and the clock to ensure that they were back in the classroom before the bell. Occasionally I would make the rounds of the school grounds to touch base with various students to ensure that all was going smoothly and to answer any questions they might have. And honestly, they had a blast writing their text, choosing pictures, picking font styles and colours, and trying out various character voices. They also enjoyed the freedom of being able to work anywhere on the school grounds rather than being confined to my classroom.
          The process of creating their books took two full classes, and once they were complete, it was time to share. Students are able to save their books into iBooks or DropBox, but we used Apple TV, so that they were able to project their books using the LCD projector, onto the classroom screen and play their recorded voices from their iPads. The magic of Apple TV is that students were able to "present" from their desks, eliminating the anxiety filled experience of standing in front of their classmates (don't get me wrong, we will move towards that by the end of the unit). As well, it seemed that my students felt much less self conscious about their expressive and dramatic readings as they were collaberating with a friend, or working individually, while they were recording their voices. Even students who were generally reserved and somewhat self-conscious in class, were able to read with amazing feeling and expression.
          An outcome that was expecially rewarding was that one of my students, who is on the autism spectrum and a relatively new reader, was able to work alongside his SEA to record himself reading and then "present" his book with greater ease and confidence. He read with fluency and expression. As someone who I know dreads standing in front of the class, he suddenly found himself on an even playing field, able to share his work in a safe and comfortalble setting. Technology is his "thing" and Book Creator enabled and empowered him to share his work using a medium that he excelled in.

Students presenting adapted version of Cinderella using Book Creator and Apple TV.



Students presenting adapted version of Little Red Riding Hood using Book Creator and Apple TV.



Projects-- Thinking "Outsiders" the Box

          On April 18th I was fortunate to once again attend a Surrey School's "Digital Learning" session, part of a series of six that I have participated in this year. Entitled "Creating a Culture of Inquiry", Neil Stephenson, District Principal of Innovation and Inquiry in Delta, spoke of the incredible potential of technology to impact student learning. Prior to Neil's presentation, teachers from Kwantlen Park Secondary and Woodward Hill Elementary shared some amazingly innovative and creative teaching practices that they have worked to integrate at their respective schools. Woodward Hill played a video capturing some of their practices that brought many in the room to tears. One imactful lesson that I came away with from all three of these presentations, is that as "experienced" teachers we can sometimes fall into a comfortable, somewhat complacent routine, and that if I am feeling too comfortable in my classroom, it probably means I'm not taking enough "risks" with my teaching.
          For every teacher, those "risks" may manifest differently, but I think it is vital that we strive to push ourselves to move out of that comfortable, safe, and yes, mostly effective place we may occasionally find ourselves in after we have graduated from the "survival mode"mentality that many new teachers experience. I challenged myself to do exactly that...
         Nearing the end of our English 8 unit for the novel The Outsiders, (a classic, and still highly relevant piece of literature encompassing various topics including gang violence, conflict resolution, abuse, and family) I began to construct a project that would challenge my students to demonstrate various and specific learning outcomes for the unit. I reviewed several past projects, and to be honest, they were pretty darn good. But, they were also pretty darn "safe". And so, I began to revise and rework. Ultimately, I envisioned a project where the end product was the choice of the student. I began by thinking about what learning I wanted them to demonstrate, and worked backwards. The challenge was to devise a rubric that could encompass any varied, diverse and creative project that my talented English 8s could dream up! I decided that students should be able to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of significant events, characters, literary terms, themes and issues from the novel.
          With the final assessment completed, I began to create the actual project sheet. As I'm quite familiar with the various learning needs in my classroom, I felt that it was important to offer some concrete suggestions in addition to providing the freedom of choice for my students, and so I offered three options; a newspaper, an iMovie trailer, or a product of their choice. They also were able to choose whether they wanted to work independently, or collaborate with a partner, or within a group. For some of my students, offering only the third "choice" option could be overwhelming and daunting. They prefer to have some basic guidelines, and then add to those minimum requirements in a creative and unique manner. I also wanted to ensure that only those students who were familiar with iMovie chose that option. After all, I am an English, not a Technology teacher, and my intent was not to assess them on how well they use technology, but on how well they could demonstrate their understanding of the novel.
          So where does the idea of necessary "risk" enter in? After handing out and explaining the parameters of the project, I made arrangements to book our library and iPads to facilitate the range of projects indicated by my students after they were given an opportunity to brainstorm various ideas. We met on the specified day, I ensured that everyone had a sense of what they were doing, and then I stepped back and got out of their way!
          At times, I had only a vague idea of where my students were. At times, they had rather expensive iPads in their possession AND I only had a vague idea of where my students were! Some were in the library using the computers to format newspapers, some were collaborating in groups designing board games, some were outside recording voices for Puppet Pals, and some were up on the sports field covered in dirt and fake blood recording "rumbles" for iMovie trailers. As an individual who is occasionally described as a tad controlling, this was a bit anxiety causing! But, ultimately, I trust my "kids" and they all returned at the agreed upon time with their technology intact. I did occasionally set out on scouting missions to "spy" on my students (old habits die hard!) and what did I see? Students having an awesome time demonstrating learning. And does it really get any better than that? With this and other projects, I am challenging myself to think "Outsiders" the box.

Project rubric for The Outsiders

Project Sheet that includes a range of choice.

And then, get out of their way! Students working outside to record voices using Puppet Pals App.

Students working in Library designing Outsiders board game.

Students working outside creating iMovie trailers for the novel. I didn't include the photo of the student covered in fake blood, and very real dirt after filming the "rumble"!