by Heather Parris-Fitzpatrick
With all the buzz about ebook readers, it is time for teachers to explore ways to incorporate epublishing into their student writing assignments. There are several applications available that allow students and teachers to create remarkable, user-friendly ebooks that can be published on the web, printed, shared, or saved and stored locally.
eBooks allow students to follow the five step writing process: brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, with renewed interest in the final step. The audience must be carefully considered and is no longer limited to simply the teacher or classmates. In addition, ebooks allow students to support their ideas and content by embedding video (mp4) and image files into their writing pieces. For little or no cost, students can now create authentic multimedia viewing and reading experiences and publish them digitally (.epub) for a variety of audiences.
ePub Bud is a free website that allows you to create a new book with their application or upload any sort of document and convert it to the open .epub format. You can store your books online and even sell them on Amazon and the Apple Bookstore. They also provide a forum for teachers to share teaching activities that incorporate epublishing.
If you are an iPad user consider downloading Book Creator by Red Jumper Studio. This app costs $6.99 but is well worth it. It is easy to use and the resulting ebook is polished and professional.
We learned about an excellent example of epublishing in the classroom at the NYS TESOL Conference. ESL students in Amityville worked with education consultant Annette Shideler to create a book entitled “Surviving in Amityville. A guide written by middle school English language learners for all English language learners.”
While reading “Swiss Family Robinson” students discussed the themes of adaptation and survival. They connected the themes to their own experiences as newcomers in Amityville. Every student had a story to tell and advice to offer.
Then the ESL students collaborated on the survival guide. Each chapter provides an individual students unique perspective and advice. The end result is an eleven chapter book that includes video and photos. The ebook is an authentic published work now available through iTunes.
For more information about this project read “Students pen middle school survival guide”