Fall-16 – Ed Methods

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016

Class 15: Final Pre-pub Checklist

We’ll be using iBooks Author to finish our iBooks today (Report to Digital lab / Clark Library).

Note: You will be adding your last blog post (reflection) as a final portion of the lesson. That can be your look back at the of the entire document based lesson process.

Here’s our final pre-publication checklist

We will use the Inspector/ Document to disable “Hyphenate.”
Your chapters will need your names. If you have a website, Twitter or LinkedIn page, etc – you can link to it so readers can find you.
Does your chapter include relevant dates (or eras).
You will need to have links back to documents / content. They should not just link to jpg file, but the entire source as listed in whatever archive you used.
Sources can be cited adjacent to document or at end of the lesson as Work Cited.
All links should all be checked to see if they work. To save space consider just using the words source and making it a hyperlink.
Looking for icons to spice it up? Check out The Noun Project. They are free and should be cited in your sources if the name gets cut off of icon.
Some of the images you used are bit fuzzy in resolution. We can look for higher resolution versions.
If you have large images, you can use a setting to make the images pop out to full size. (inspector/ widget/ interaction/ goes to full screen)
Be sure you do not have any placeholder text in widgets “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet….” That needs to be removed. iTunes will not accept the iBook.
Look to be sure you don’t have any empty text boxes you might have added. They will be in the center of the page

Image Credit: Civilian Conservation Corps, Third Corps Area, typing class with W.P.A. instructor ca. 1933
National Archives and Records Administration Identifier: 197144

November 25, 2016November 25, 2016

Class 14: Proofing our iBook

Here’s our workflow for collaborating on an iBook showcase of student-designed document-based lessons.

During the last class session students met it the Clark Library Digital Lab to compile their prewritten text, selected images and video to complete the first drafts of their chapters.

Today we meet in the UP Innovation Center (a very cool collaborative workspace) to proof their chapters.

Write a reflection on your DBL design process and post to our blog (your final post). It will also be added to your iBook chapter – due 12/4. I will add a pdf version of your chapter to this post. See examples from 2015

Image credit: McGuffey’s Reader illustration n.d.
Miami University Library: nn-1351

November 16, 2016

Class 13: Working with iBooks Author

Digital technologies have put us in charge of the information we access, store, analyze and share. Creating an iBook harnesses those motivational factors into an engaging learning experience. The ease of distribution across the world (via iTunes) means students can communicate with a broader, and more authentic audience than just their teacher and class peers.

This week we will wrap up our first drafts of our document based lessons for inclusion into our collaborative iBook. We’ll be working in the Digital Lab at Clark Library. This will be the fourth iBook published by our EdMethods students.

Technical aspects
The iBooks will be designed using iBooks Author in the Mac lab. Students will bring digital versions of their DBQs to the lab – including all image and sound files, text files, citations and URLs. Here’s a quick guide to managing your files to get ready for iBooks Author: edMethods Tool Kit: iBooks Author

I’ve created a YouTube channel with some short tutorials that students may wish to refer to. See iBooks Author Tips

Image credit: Image from page 94 of “History of the Bassandyne Bible, the first printed in Scotland with notices of the early printers of Edinburgh” (1887) William T Dobson,

November 9, 2016November 9, 2016

Class 12: Classroom Discussion Techniques

The figure marked New York may be considered as a public speaker delivering a lecture to be heard in the towns mentioned.

I admit to being guilty of dominating classroom discussion as a rookie social studies teacher. “Class, what were three results of the War of 1812? … Anyone? … Anyone??”

After years of facing this type of discussion, students learn that their comments are of provisional value until “approved” by the teacher. Over time, students stop listening to each other and only focus on what the teacher says or validates – “will that be up on a test?” When students are put in small group discussion, they rapidly get off subject. With no teacher to validate their comments, they naturally gravitate to other subjects where peer comments are valued – “what are you doing this weekend?”

Today’s class will explore strategies and resources for taking the teacher out of the role of information gatekeeper and encouraging productive student-centered dialogue.

Students were directed to explore the discussion techniques I have assembled on our edMethod’s Toolkit: Student-Centered Prompts And to follow links to Teachers Toolkit | OETC PLN Strategies They were prepared to either demonstrate a discussion they liked or talk about their experience leading discussion in the placements.

Additionally we will explore the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) model. Not all issues can be easily debated as pro / con positions. SAC provides students with a framework for addressing complex issues in a productive manner that builds their skills in reading, analyzing, listening, and discussion. It shifts the goal from “winning” the argument to active listening to opposing viewpoints and distilling areas of agreement. If time permits we will try an example “Was Abraham Lincoln a racist?”

Students might enjoy my series “Great Debates in American History”

Assignment: Write a blog post as a reflection on the challenges and opportunities of organizing productive classroom discussions.

Image credit: From the Scientific American (1887) and reprinted in “Bell Telephone Magazine” (1922) Internet Archive Book Image

Descriptive text states: Our large engraving . . . affords an excellent idea of how the instrument is used… . The figure marked New York may be con-sidered as a public speaker delivering a lecture to be heard in the towns mentioned. He talks into one telephone while he holds another to his ear, in order, for example, to hear the applause, etc., of his auditory; or he may be maintaining a discussion or debate, and he then hears his adversary’s replies or interruptions. Now,at Newark there is simply a reporter,who takes down the speech phonographically; the words pass on through that telephone and reach Paterson.