Here are brief instructions for setting up Google Presentations for collaborative student work.
Turnitin Instructions
Here are short instructions for how to create three drop boxes in Turnitin. These instructions were part of a Turnitin presentation given for the JCCC English Department Technology Day on Jan. 9, 2013.
iBooks Author
Yesterday, after the Apple education event, I decided to download iBooks Author to see how easy it would be to convert some of my online learning modules that I created with SoftChalk for use on the iPad. For the most part, I was simply able to copy and paste from the webpages that I’d already created in SoftChalk into iBooks Author. The layout is really clean. The chapter titles, subheadings, etc. in the iBooks Author template required me to re-think my organization a bit, but that wasn’t a problem. When I previewed my one learning module on my wife’s iPad, it looked pretty cool. I don’t necessarily see iBooks Author as a replacement for the learning modules I’ve created for use in Angel, but I do see that I might be able to create alternative versions if students would rather read what I’ve written with their iPads instead of their laptops or desktop computers. I guess many students could read my modules now on their iPads, but I was really impressed with how the iBooks Author software improved the overall look of my webpage modules on the iPad. Another advantage: the new iBooks app on the iPad now allows for easy annotating and highlighting of textbooks, encouraging active reading over passive reading. One problem: As with SoftChalk, iBooks Author contains Widgets that allow for easy media integration, but I couldn’t figure out how to embed video from YouTube or Internet Archive. Instead, it seemed as if I was restricted to only including video that was already on my hard drive. I only played with iBooks Author for about 45 minutes yesterday, so more exploration is probably in order. Some further info on iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and the more comprehensive iTunes U:
iBooks Author: http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/
iBooks 2: http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/
iTunes U: http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
Apple’s education page with a 7-minute overview video over electronic textbooks: http://www.apple.com/education/#video-textbooks
CNET has a useful video demonstrating what a student can do with a sample electronic textbook now available. The Chronicle of Higher Education takes a skeptical view of Apple’s entire venture into the e-textbook market.
A Life in the Dark
Another great film book…Brian Kellow’s biography of New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael, titled Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark. Kellow devotes a considerable amount of the book to Kael’s more polarizing film reviews from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Reading selections from her review and the context that Kellow provides reminded me of some great (and not so great) movies that had slipped my mind. I was able to add several movies to my Netflix queue after reading this biography. Here a some review links for Kellow’s book:
Dangerous Cycling
I love cycling, but this might involve a little more risk than Tomahawk Creek Parkway.
Movies
Since we stayed in town, Christmas break proved a fruitful time for movie watching. Here’s a run-down of theater and home viewing selections:
Theater:
- Hugo
- The Descendants
- The Muppets
- The Adventures of Tintin
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
- Young Adult
- Elf (a Christmas Eve tradition)
- Bridesmaids (again)
- Super 8 (again)
- Captain America (again)
- Time Bandits (again)
- A Midnight Clear (again)
- Our Idiot Brother
- Beginners
- Submarine
- Terri
- The Naked Kiss
- Tiny Furniture
Reading
I finished 2011 with Roger Ebert’s Life Itself, and began 2012 by reading Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs. Both were great reads. Life Itself is one of the more optimistic and life-affirming books I’ve read in a long time.
Here are some links for reviews and information:
Life Itself
- NPR Review
- NY Times Review
- The Atlantic (excerpts on Ebert’s view of writing from the book)
Film, Literature, and Writing
Students accessing this blog can find information on movies, poetry, books, media, writing, etc. The pages linked from this site will provide further stuff of interest. Though primarily designed as a resource for students, other people with an interest in these topics might enjoy the occasional viewing as well.