YA Eco Mysteries, Memoirs, Novels & Travel
How Teachers Can Use Enhanced eBooks
19/12/13 17:18 Filed in: Environment
Teaching with Enhanced eBooks
In the previous blog, I provided an overview of the advantages of using Enhanced eBooks for the general readers Advantages of Enhanced eBooks. In this blog, I’ll focus on the benefits of Enhanced books for teachers with examples that you can download and use in your classrooms. While thoughtfully Enhanced eBooks can indeed enhance your students learning and appreciation, finding examples I considered worthwhile was not as easy as I anticipated.
In the previous blog, I provided an overview of the advantages of using Enhanced eBooks for the general readers Advantages of Enhanced eBooks. In this blog, I’ll focus on the benefits of Enhanced books for teachers with examples that you can download and use in your classrooms. While thoughtfully Enhanced eBooks can indeed enhance your students learning and appreciation, finding examples I considered worthwhile was not as easy as I anticipated.
Many of the books offered as Enhanced eBooks include audio and video, but they aren’t skillfully integrated into the text—they are simply added material. Here are a few of my picks for teachers (or for readers who are life-long learners) that show examples of video, audio, photos, and text beautifully integrated into the book.
UPPER ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Science Books:
* Creatures, Plants, and More: A Kid’s Guide to Northwest Florida (get a free sample or download it from the i Books Store or Amazon.) This book was created by the students of Woodlawn Beach Middle 7th Grade Advanced Life Science Students, and their teacher Andrea Santilli. Using free iBooks Author software the students were able to publish and distribute their work. What a great project for science teachers to implement! Visit link at: iBooks Author
Teachers can also have students research, create and publish their own eco mysteries, using the outline provided on my handout, which gives a-step-step outline at: Teacher Handout (a cross curricula unit integrating creative writing and ecology)
ILLUSTRATION FROM THE ADVENTURES OF THE SIZZLING SIX: RETURN OF THE RED-COCKADED CLAN (Boris Datnow)
* The Adventures of The Sizzling Six, eco mystery, science-based series for middle school, the videos flow seamlessly into the story, allowing readers to visualize scientific concepts, and also to see and to hear what the characters in the story are seeing and hearing.
You can download a Free sample of the Enhanced eBook, The Adventures of The Sizzling Six series: The Living Treasure, the third book in the eco mystery series, and The Adventures of the Sizzling Six: The Return of the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (book 5). All books are available as hardcopies, eBooks, and enhanced eBooks.
http://www.maclife.com/article/news/superstar_7th_graders_publish_their_own_ebook_ibookstore
http://www.fox10tv.com/news/middle-schoolers-create-ebook
MIDDLE SCHOOL/ HIGH SCHOOL:
Science Books:
* E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth. Description. Created exclusively for iBooks by the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the book is a new approach to the biology textbook. Presenting students with a richer, more engaging learning experience, this interactive textbook helps to improve comprehension. The current release has 18 of the eventual 41 chapters, including four new ones.
* Books published by the National Science Teachers Association: Rich with gorgeous color photography, dynamic enhancements, and interactive features that enable you to learn, share, and explore, NSTA’s highly interactive Multi-Touch books provide a professional learning experience that is both engaging and inspiring. Animations, simulations, and video bring content to life, while pop-up review questions and special notes help underscore the most crucial points of knowledge. Visit Link at: NSTA BOOKS AND RESOURCES
Literature:
* Deluxe and Digital | Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Along with video commentary from professors, the iBook contains the full text of Steinbeck’s novel, and the text of Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Lists of discussion questions on topics ranging from “the American Dream” to “Fate” are included and paired with brief video responses by students. The embedded videos as well as the ability to search the text, mark passages, take notes, and share information via social media make this modern edition useful in the classroom. Teachers will also appreciate the step-by-step instructions for projecting the iBook’s content from their computer or iPad to a SMARTboard or screen. Of Mice and Men
* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak now has an Enhanced Movie Tie- Edition. The enhanced edition includes videos of the stars that play the role of the main characters in the movie, and an interview with the author. Available from the iBooks store and Amazon
LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN
At this level the books for young children are designed as Read Alouds with audio to help children learn to read, including nursery rhymes, books that teach concepts like shapes and colors, books that teach reading, and books about nature. Some can be downloaded free from the iBooks store.
As with any new technology, no doubt there will be missteps along the way, but this is an exciting burst of brilliance that illuminate the way forward for the evolving book revolution. Go explore for yourself!
ALSO FOLLOW MY BLOG POST:
WANT TO SHARE OR COMMENT? Please click on the icons(s) of your favorite social media to share, or to comment.
UPPER ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Science Books:
* Creatures, Plants, and More: A Kid’s Guide to Northwest Florida (get a free sample or download it from the i Books Store or Amazon.) This book was created by the students of Woodlawn Beach Middle 7th Grade Advanced Life Science Students, and their teacher Andrea Santilli. Using free iBooks Author software the students were able to publish and distribute their work. What a great project for science teachers to implement! Visit link at: iBooks Author
Teachers can also have students research, create and publish their own eco mysteries, using the outline provided on my handout, which gives a-step-step outline at: Teacher Handout (a cross curricula unit integrating creative writing and ecology)
ILLUSTRATION FROM THE ADVENTURES OF THE SIZZLING SIX: RETURN OF THE RED-COCKADED CLAN (Boris Datnow)
* The Adventures of The Sizzling Six, eco mystery, science-based series for middle school, the videos flow seamlessly into the story, allowing readers to visualize scientific concepts, and also to see and to hear what the characters in the story are seeing and hearing.
You can download a Free sample of the Enhanced eBook, The Adventures of The Sizzling Six series: The Living Treasure, the third book in the eco mystery series, and The Adventures of the Sizzling Six: The Return of the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (book 5). All books are available as hardcopies, eBooks, and enhanced eBooks.
http://www.maclife.com/article/news/superstar_7th_graders_publish_their_own_ebook_ibookstore
http://www.fox10tv.com/news/middle-schoolers-create-ebook
MIDDLE SCHOOL/ HIGH SCHOOL:
Science Books:
* E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth. Description. Created exclusively for iBooks by the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the book is a new approach to the biology textbook. Presenting students with a richer, more engaging learning experience, this interactive textbook helps to improve comprehension. The current release has 18 of the eventual 41 chapters, including four new ones.
* Books published by the National Science Teachers Association: Rich with gorgeous color photography, dynamic enhancements, and interactive features that enable you to learn, share, and explore, NSTA’s highly interactive Multi-Touch books provide a professional learning experience that is both engaging and inspiring. Animations, simulations, and video bring content to life, while pop-up review questions and special notes help underscore the most crucial points of knowledge. Visit Link at: NSTA BOOKS AND RESOURCES
Literature:
* Deluxe and Digital | Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Along with video commentary from professors, the iBook contains the full text of Steinbeck’s novel, and the text of Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Lists of discussion questions on topics ranging from “the American Dream” to “Fate” are included and paired with brief video responses by students. The embedded videos as well as the ability to search the text, mark passages, take notes, and share information via social media make this modern edition useful in the classroom. Teachers will also appreciate the step-by-step instructions for projecting the iBook’s content from their computer or iPad to a SMARTboard or screen. Of Mice and Men
* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak now has an Enhanced Movie Tie- Edition. The enhanced edition includes videos of the stars that play the role of the main characters in the movie, and an interview with the author. Available from the iBooks store and Amazon
LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN
At this level the books for young children are designed as Read Alouds with audio to help children learn to read, including nursery rhymes, books that teach concepts like shapes and colors, books that teach reading, and books about nature. Some can be downloaded free from the iBooks store.
As with any new technology, no doubt there will be missteps along the way, but this is an exciting burst of brilliance that illuminate the way forward for the evolving book revolution. Go explore for yourself!
ALSO FOLLOW MY BLOG POST:
WANT TO SHARE OR COMMENT? Please click on the icons(s) of your favorite social media to share, or to comment.