With all the focus over the past few weeks around Apple starting to sell textbooks via their iBooks 2 platform for the iPad, I think the most important part of their announcement was overlooked.
The iBooks Author tool that provides users the ability to create and publish their own multi-touch textbooks is a bigger game changer. Many school districts (like my own) write their own curriculum through a process with teachers and other leaders, and the ability to create these interactive and engaging textbooks that best meet a specific district's needs are of huge value.
The iBooks Author tool allows the creator to insert text, graphics, videos, and more to create a customized learning tool that flows with their curriculum and meets the needs of an engaged learner. These media rich, interactive texts provide students with the cutting edge learning tools they have been asking us for.
I have spoke to colleagues who believe this first pass at the Author tool isn't as intuitive it could be for the average user, and I have complete faith (in true Apple style) they will streamline their product in a next release that will make the creation and publishing more intuitive.
Here is a look at the iBooks Author tool: http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/
What are your thoughts on the iBooks Author tool? Do you believe it has the potential to be a disruptive tool in K-12? Why or why not?
JDS
Monday, February 13, 2012
BYOD versus District Provided Devices
Many school district across the country are struggling with the notion of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) versus providing district owned devices to their students. I believe there are pros and cons to both sides, and will try to lay out a few of those below. Feel free to add your own thoughts on the pros and cons of either program, including experiences in your own school district.
BYOD
Pros:
Cons:
District Provided Devices
Pros:
I believe that regardless of the platform that a district chooses, they need to have conversations and discussions with their teachers, administrators AND students on what environment would best meet their needs. The ultimate driver has to be Teaching and Learning, and they have to see the value that either of these programs would provide to the overall learning process. Without that connection - both programs will fail.
JDS
BYOD
Pros:
- Low cost for the school district.
- Students get to bring their personal and customized device that meets their needs.
- Students are guaranteed to have access to that device 24/7.
Cons:
- Who supports the device during the school day?
- Students, parents, and schools are concerned about damage and theft.
- How do teachers manage multiple devices in their classrooms?
District Provided Devices
Pros:
- Similar device for students make it easy to manage and support.
- Easy to deploy district applications across a common platform.
- Higher cost for districts.
- No guarantee of students being able to take the device home.
- Students can't customize the device to their liking as much as they can in a BYOD environment.
I believe that regardless of the platform that a district chooses, they need to have conversations and discussions with their teachers, administrators AND students on what environment would best meet their needs. The ultimate driver has to be Teaching and Learning, and they have to see the value that either of these programs would provide to the overall learning process. Without that connection - both programs will fail.
JDS
Friday, January 20, 2012
Has Apple finally done it?
Our mindset shifts from the iPad as a tool that provides a majority of functionality for students, when it comes to consuming, collaborating, communicating, etc. to a device that does all that plus house their textbooks without a third party application. The iPad was already relevant in education, but it just moved to the top of the list for many school districts across the country. Schools can now leverage textbook dollars towards iPads and use VPP vouchers to purchase textbooks for students, while providing them a tool that allows effecient communication, collaboration and access.
The game has changed. Thank you Apple for being the pioneer we all know you for. You have revolutionized smartphones and music. You are well on your way for revolutionizing education and the way we think of textbooks.
Game on.
Update / Clarification 1.21.12: In response to the first comment below, let me make a clarification that I may not have initially been clear about. This event is more about shifting the philosophy of publishing companies than a revolution of education. While I believe this is a first step in a revolution process, it isn't the complete revolution itself. Textbooks have to be interactive, engaging and relevant for students. Change.
JDS
Monday, January 16, 2012
App Review: CloudOn
CloudOn is an app that allows you to utilize virtual instances of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint while linking to your Dropbox account. Finally, an app that allows me to utilize these Microsoft tools while providing a seamless link to an online storage platform.
I've been using this app for a couple of weeks and have found myself moving away from Pages on my iPad. The primary reason is the link to Dropbox. With Pages I was always having to email my notes to myself and then save them the appropriate folder on my machine. CloudOn removes that extra step.
CloudOn also provides users who are used to Microsoft products a familiar look and feel. While I had started to become accustomed to Pages, I'm glad to have an option when it comes to productivity.
The biggest plus of CloudOn? Free. Yep - it is free. Obviously, you will need a Dropbox account, but that also is free (at least the basic version). You will spend $30 for Apple's version of these three products, and not have the seamless connection to storage. This tips the scales towards CloudOn.
If you haven't had a chance to check out CloudOn, I strongly recommend you do so. I believe you will find it to be a valuable productivity and organizational tool.
JDS
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
More than just the box
Technology in education is more than just the box. We have to ensure students and teachers understand how and why to utilize these tools to enhance learning opportunities. This infers a strong connection to Teaching and Learning and that the boxes are valued as tools that enable teachers and students to communicate more effectively and efficiently, collaborate in new ways, more efficient research and organizational skills.
Technology in education is more than just the box. We have to ensure that proper professional development and support for teachers and students exists in our model. To place technology in buildings for use by teachers and students without proper training, ongoing support, and modeling is a waste of dollars. While some teachers are able to navigate the tools and learn on their own, many teachers need peers to assist them along the way.
Technology in education is more than just the box. Educational institutions need visionary leaders who look beyond the current state and forward to where the technology is moving. Without proper vision and understanding of trends, research, and outlook district technology will become outdated, unusable, and an afterthought.
Technology in education is more than just the box. As education technology leaders, it is imperative we look beyond the boxes in our buildings and place our emphasis on student learning, professional development, classroom modeling, support for teachers, and visioning. A box is a box.
JDS
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