This document discusses encouraging literacy and young authors through technology. It provides tools and apps for creating digital books and publishing student work online, ranging from simple options like Piclits and Bookr to more advanced options like Pages, iBooks Author, and creating solo book apps. Trends mentioned include credentializing learning with digital badges and hybrid online/physical maker spaces. People to follow on Twitter for more information are also listed.

1. Encouraging
Literacy & Young
Authors Through
Tech
Joelle Alcaidinho & Melissa Techman

2. Who we are.
Joelle Alcaidinho
Independent Educational Technology Consultant
Twitter & Pinterest @joelle_writes
ADN @joelle
http://www.joellewrites.com
Melissa Techman
School Librarian @ Albemarle County Public Schools, VA.
Twitter & Pinterest: @mtechman
ADN @mtechman
http://mtechman.wordpress.com/

3. Students as Authors: Connected Learning
NWP, Online Study Space
http://connect.nwp.org/online-learning-connected-learning/
Mimi Ito, DML Central Report
1st in series of reports on Connected Learning http://dmlhub.
net/sites/default/files/Connected_Learning_report.pdf
Images: davidrumsey.com; Aerbook Paris guide: David W. Siu

4. How digital literacy fits with maker culture
● More opportunities for negotiation when
writing, mixing on the web
● Reinforce and align with open resources
● Building fluid understanding of context
● Permeability - creative design needs thinking
made visible

5. Writing & making
Opportunities for students to:
● Make thinking visible
● Make useful products
● Solve authentic issues
● See the value of writing
● Articulate narrative and design decisions
● Model and share prototyping
● Gain deeper understanding of habits of mind
Image via Instructables.com user sajusa99

6. Quick & simple tools
Piclits
● Piclits.com
● Drag words or type (freestyle).
● Useful for very short summaries or character
description. Quick comprehension check.

7. Quick and simple tools
Bookr
● http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/
● Grades 2 and up.
● Use Safari or Chrome (WebKit)
● Choose Flickr images, add simple text, get URL.
● Low on features, can't edit after publishing, no
font changes or image re-sizing, etc.
● Perfect for a fast, short product.

8. Bookr
4th grader's 10 pg eBook made with Bookr

9. Made with Book Creator

10. Simple
Book Creator on iPad
● Requires iPad running iOS 5.0 (some
features require 6.0 or later)
● Complete a project start to finish on
the iPad
● WYSIWYG Interface
● Creates fixed layout ePubs
● $4.99 US 50% in VPP program

11. Book Creator app

12. More Advanced
Pages & iBooks Author
● Require a Mac running @ least 10.7.4
● Fairly WYSIWYG, some programming
knowledge may be required
● Following the template in Pages is a bit of a
must, very easy to diverge from = errors
● Pages makes free flowing ePubs which are
suitable for a variety of ePub readers
● iBooks Author creates fixed layout which is
suitable for iBooks on iPad only

13. Pages

14. iBooks Author

15. iBooks Author
http://staffsites.caj.or.jp/ringulsrud/Classof2021/HistoryofBooks.pdf
4th graders: History of Books and Libraries

16. Quite Advanced
HTML5 + Newsstand or Solo Book App
● Supports, text, video, audio, & animation
● Need basic HTML & CSS knowledge
● Need an editor to write your pages like
TextMate, iWeb, Dreamweaver or Rapidweaver
● Xcode!
● WYSIWYG Alternatives: Aerbook & 29th St
Publishing
● Publishing to the App Store will require an
iTunes Connect & iOS Developer Account

17. eBook Publishing Services
Aerbook
Web-based cloud publishing, lots of features, can export as KF8, iBooks,
HTML5, as mobile app; one button build for iPad, Kindle Fire, Nook tablet apps.

18. Quite Advanced
Newsstand
● Content lives inside of the Newsstand app on
iOS devices
● Although they don't look like it, they're apps
● Requires Xcode + content (HTML or ePUB)
● Subscriptions & servers
● iOS Developer Account + iTunes Connect
● Baker eBook Framework 4.0 (open source)
● Newsstand Publishers like 29th St Publishing

19. Newsstand

20. Trends
● Credentializing learning - badges one example
● Hybridization of maker/writer spaces:
places for co-creation;
linking of physical and virtual arenas
● Home-grown MOOCs, #etmooc
● Buying & distributing books is challenging, one
reason why schools opt to make their own.
● Schools leverage MDM to distribute eBooks
made in house to their iOS devices.

21. Connecting virtual & real worlds
Mitch Resnick, in 1/29/13 TEDx "Let's teach kids to code"

22. Creativity with Digital Publishing
● Graphic novels
● DIY math textbooks
● Science logs
● Selling & sharing eBooks with the world
● Mixed media storytelling
● Enhances school community
● Student curators
● Research
● Infographics

23. Storytelling with data & beyond
● Students need access to examples and experts.
● Provide and require "think alouds".
● Lots of opportunities to edit, integrate.
image http://style.org/tapestry/ NYT Science Writer Richard Corum

24. People to Follow
@wfryer Wes Fryer
@buffyjhamilton Buffy Hamilton
@langwitches Silvia Tolisano
@janeinjava Jane Ross
@storytellin outstanding Delicious bookmarks
@lizcastro Elizabeth Castro
@fuglefun Tricia Fuglestad

25. People to Follow
National Writing Project
members:
@poh Paul Oh
@hickstro Troy Hicks
@seecantrill Christina Cantrill
Linking a Dropbox folder to a site without a student login.
Tip from Tricia Fuglestad @fuglefun

26. Learn More
● http://www.redjumper.net/bookcreator/
● http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-
easily-make-your-own-eb-156395
● http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4168?
viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
● http://www.apple.com/support/ibooksauthor
● Vicki Saumell's list of apps, sites http://goo.
gl/fd5yw

27. Learn More
● https://developer.apple.com/newsstand/
● http://www.viggiosoft.
com/blog/blog/2011/10/17/ios-newsstand-
tutorial/
● http://bakerframework.com
● http://29.io
● http://aerbook.com/site/#home
● http://www.elizabethcastro.com

28. Resources/Research
Belshaw, Doug. "Why We Need a Learning Standard for Web Literacy | DMLcentral." DMLcentral. N.p., 18
Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://dmlcentral.net/blog/doug-belshaw/why-we-need-learning-
standard-web-literacy>.
Eisner, Nadene, Nell Fleming, Nicole Kaffel, and Janet Vogel. "Research Supporting Digital Storytelling."
Digital Storytelling. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. <http://courseweb.
lis.illinois.edu/~jevogel2/lis506/research.html>. Digest of research on effects of digital storytelling on
reading comprehension as well as motivation.
Forthcoming: Hicks, Troy. Crafting Digital Writing. http://www.heinemann.com/products/E04696.aspx
Kajder, S.B. (2006). Bringing the Outside In: Visual Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse Publishers.
Purcell, Kristin, and Lee Rainie. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." How
Teens Do Research in the Digital World. Pew Research Center, 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.

29. Contact Us
Joelle Alcaidinho
joelle@joellewrites.com
@joelle_writes
Melissa Techman
melissatechman@gmail.com
@mtechman