The Textbook Reinvented via Apple

Yesterday Apple announced 3 different products in New York at a special event: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTunesU. Take a look at Apple's vision of textbooks on the iPad.

Apple Announces Changes in Education

Apple held an educational focused event and introduced new products geared for digital textbooks by announcing iBooks 2. Here are the highlights I have gathered with the help of TechnoBuffalo:

• Tapping on a books will bring up an intro movie
• Databases will be added to textbooks that will allow for search
• Media will be integrated into the textbook such as interactive graphics and videos
• Students can tap on parts of a diagram and interact with them (i.e. part of an insect or explanations of the body parts)
• Students will receive immediate feedback from the questions at the end of each chapter
• Integrated notepad for note taking included
• All notes and highlights can be turned into study cards...which can be shuffled for random testing
• iBooks 2 is free

Also, a new tool for textbook authors called the iBooks Author. It will feature:

• Templates for books like math and science
• Drag and drop interface
• Can drag in existing text files and add images...program will do auto-wrap
• WYSISIG (What You See Is What You Get) interface
• Can put in a slideshow instead of just one image
• Will also work with Keynote
• People of various skill level can use this
• HTML5 support will be available
• iBook Author is free

Additional comments:

• Textbook store will be divided into grade level and subject
• High schools textbooks will be $14.99
• Apple is teaming up with Pearson, McGraw Hill, Houghton Miffin and Harcourt
• Pearson will have two textbooks in the store today
• McGraw Hill will have 5 books today
• DK Publishing working on things like ABCs, dinosaurs and insect books
• iTunes U now getting an app - teachers can push out notes, assignments and more
• K-12 schools can join

Exciting information from Apple today. Stay turned from more updates as they come.

Changing Education Paradigms

This video was shared with our doctoral cohort last semester and it had a strong impact on how I view our educational system.

It encourages a need for change... How we can't have our students to go through the same educational system we had and expect them to be successful in this world.

The video is about 12 minutes long. Take some time to watch and give your comments below. Also, share this video with others and let them share in the experience.

Grad School

I did it!

I finally made it through my first semester of grad school at Dallas Baptist University (DBU). The courses I took were Educational Foundations and Leadership & Management Theories, and I enjoyed them immensely!

My other cohort members are some of the best educators I've had the opportunity to work with. They are highly skilled, motivated educators. It's clear they are experts and highly respected in their local school districts. I hope to contribute to their lives the same way they have contributed to mine.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17; ESV).

I'm looking forward to next two classes this semester: Curriculum Design & Administration and Human Resources. However, I'm still enjoying my winter break with the family!

For future posts, I plan to add information about the things I'm learning from classes to this blog. This way it will help me keep my thoughts/ideas organized and in one place...besides I'll be able to refer back to them frequently. I also plan to post a short video series about "The Grad School Experience"... what it's like to go through the motions of getting into grad school.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!