The Textbook Evolution Has [Finally] Begun!

Apple's announcement that it will begin supporting and encouraging the development of digital interactive textbooks has caused a considerable stir in the educational community. The stir is not just hype as Apple's decision marks an important shift in the publishing industry which has been woefully slow to adapt to and take advantage of emerging technologies.

I am the director of a fully online school. For the past six months I have been researching digital curriculum. I was interested in using digital textbooks instead of the typical self-contained course such as those produced by Florida Virtual School, K12/Aventa, etc. A few publishing companies offered such books, but this is what I discovered:

• Few of these digital texts were truly "interactive." They ranged from PDF documents to websites. 
• No one seemed to have an established pricing model for their ebooks. One company told me that in order to purchase their eBooks I would need to purchase a copy of their traditional textbook and they would throw in the eBook (evidently I was just supposed to store several hundred textbooks in a closet somewhere). 
• None of the sales reps that I spoke with were knowledgeable about their eBook line. At the 2011 Virtual School Symposium, one of the largest textbook companies didn't even have the foresight to showcase their eBook at the conference or bring a sales rep who could speak about the books. 

If left to themselves, the publishing companies would have delayed the move toward digital textbooks at all costs. The similarities between the textbook companies, the music industry, and the newspaper industry is striking. Their lack of innovation and protection of [past] huge profits is disappointing. Here is the result of their "visionary" thinking:

• Apple is now the #1 seller of music in the United States. It essentially controls the music industry. 
• The News industry has seen a drop in everything: subscribers, circulation rates, and advertising revenue. Strong digital competitors like the Huffington Post and the Drudge Report are gaining traction, and significant ad revenue, against traditional outlets. 

Apple is poised, once again, to disrupt a bulwark of capitalism. Clearly, Apple's success indicates that innovation and creativity are more valuable than balance sheets and a love of "tradition."   

While I'm not thrilled at the proprietary nature of Apple's new textbook initiative, I give them credit for pushing the big textbook publishers into the 21st century. Without Apple's clout, it may have been another 12 years before we saw significant improvements in the textbook publishing model.

My hope is that Apple's investment into textbooks will encourage/force other platforms to develop similar ecosystems. Ultimately, I would love to see an open source platform emerge that would allow textbooks to be traded between devices.

Apple has succeeded in accomplishing more for American business and consumers than the federal government or traditional industries. Apple has its bruises, and I  certainly don't want to be a uncritical of a company that makes obscene amounts of money while ignoring unacceptable working conditions in China or being a monopolistic bully in the cell phone market. These faults aside though, I'm grateful that Educators have such a powerful ally in Apple who can move things forward when nothing else can.  

iPad vs. Chromebook [Your Thoughts]

I teach at a school that has a 1:1 iPad program. I am also a Google Certified Teacher and Trainer and have been following the development of the Chromebook closely.

I was fortunate to receive one of the Chrombook Beta devices Google sent to users in early 2011. I am also the owner of a Samsung Chrombook which I use when I am traveling.

Having used both the iPad and the Chrombook extensively, I am torn between the two devices. Each has some awesome features from a beautiful interface and a wonderful app ecosystem (iPad) to powerful collaborative abilities and always available internet connectivity (Chromebook).

Several schools and individuals have asked for my recommendation as they weigh hardware purchases for the coming school year. I'm torn. Which device would you choose?

There are lots of angles to consider these two competing devices on:

1. Ease of use
2. Cost
3. Maintenance
4. Available Apps
5. Owned vs. Shared
6. Portability
7. Battery life
8. Connectivity

Please weigh in! If someone asked you which device they should purchase as a 1:1 device, which would you recommend? What was the deciding factor for you? 

The iPad Loophole

This year my school gave iPads to all of our high school students. We were one of the first in the state. It's been an exciting year full of surprises and learning.

During the first semester some of our creative and talented students found an interesting iOS loophole that gave them unfiltered access to the web. The trouble stems from Apps that, instead of storing their help documentation locally on the device, pull in their help documentation from the web. To the average user there is no difference between the two methods, however some students discovered that by clicking through the help files, they could navigate to a Google search page and then to any website on the internet. Some apps featured only small help screens, while others, such as the Google Earth App, featured a full screen web browser.

Facebook accessed through the Google Earth App

Twitter accessed through the Screen Chomp App

Over Christmas break we were forced to remove the following apps, all of which contained this loophole.

Grace to you
Billy Graham
Touch Bible
Logos study bible
Powerone calculator
Loan calculator
Halftone
Doodle buddy
Showme
Google Earth
Screenchomp
italk
Christianity Today
Word reference
lynda.com
PBS
super 8
Words with friends

It's unfortunate that security and safety frequently conflict with creativity and learning. 

Note: I understand that many educators are advocates of teaching students to browse the web safely instead of blocking access to social media and other potentially useful tools. While this is a noble goal, the reality of life as we know it includes the fact that the majority of schools block Twitter, Facebook, and other potentially useful sites. This post is note meant to be a discussion of internet freedom, but a report on a potential security loophole in iOS devices. 

Comments in Google Docs

When Google updated the Google Docs framework, many new features were added and/or improved. One such feature was the comment or "discussion" feature.

The old comments looked like this (left). They were flat and very ordinary.

The new comments (Google now calls them "discussions") look like this (left). Comments can now be sent to a specific person by adding in their email address. Profile pictures (if you have setup your Google profile) are also added to the comment.

Comments in a document can be very useful. Here are some ideas on how you can use comments to expand the usefulness of Google docs as well as an overview of some commenting features you may not have been aware of.

InBox Zero in Gmail

It's January second and all across American people are starting their New Year's resolutions. The gyms are packed, the cupboards are empty of junk food, and storage bins are on sale in all the big box stores!

If getting organized is one of your resolutions, let me give you a hand.

A year ago I began implementing the concept of "Inbox Zero." This concept is proposed by productivity blogger and expert Merlin Mann. He was even invited by Google to come and share his ideas with Googlers at the Googlplex in Mountain View, California. If you haven't watched the video, I would recommend it.

The basic premise of Inbox Zero is as follows:

Each morning, millions of people open up their email to figure out what they need to do today. This is a grave mistake as urgen (but not important) things typically fill up our inboxes. You need to prioritize. You need a plan. Don't be a slave to your inbox!

When an email comes in, it needs to be processed. There are many ways you can process your email. The fewer options you have, the better. I have three options:

1. Archive
2. Add to calendar
3. Add to task list

Gmail makes this very simple to do. Here's how

Back Up Your Google Docs!

I know that cloud-based applications were supposed to eliminate the need to back up your files. Call me paranoid, but I have begun to back up my Google Docs account.

In the event that someone hacks into my account, causing it to be locked by Google, I could lose access to some very important documents and information. To mitigate this risk, I have begun saving a copy of my documents on a semi-regular basis. Here's how to do it.

Book Review: The War of Art

Photo by John R. Sowash

I love reading. Every year there are a couple of books on my Christmas list. This year, I received The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

This book was recommended by Seth Godin and Merlin Man, two bloggers/authors that I read regularly and appreciate for their poignant insight.

The War of Art contains principles that I have blogged about previously. You might consider reading my previous post on "Shipping."

The core thesis of this short book is the unlived life:

Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands the Resistance. (introduction)

The "Resistance" is a central theme of this book. Everyone has fought against the resistance, only a few recognize its influence, however.  The Resistance is not a secret government agency, it's not a foreign power, or an alien influence. The Resistance is the internal "voice" that does everything possible to keep you from doing what you were born to do.

Seth Godin calls it the "Lizard Brain". Pressfield calls it the Resistance. In either case, there is a constant internal battle within everyone that seeks to prevent you from taking a wild leap of faith, from putting yourself out there, from trying something new. Why? Because it might not work. The Resistance is primarily concerned with maintaining the status quo-- comfort, predictability, safety, security. Anything that could potentially upset that balance must be fought against.

How many times have you had an idea burning within you that you ignored for a variety of reasons:

I don't have time
I don't have enough money
I'm too busy
I'll start tomorrow
I'm not feeling well
I'm too tired

Each of these excuses are from the Resistance. The curious thing, is that all of them are probably true (at least to some extent). The Resistance is smooth, cunning, and subtle. Pressfield suggests that we use the Resistance this way:

"Like a magnetized needle floating on a surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true North-- meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing...The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it." (pg. 12)

Pressfield is a professional writer (primarily a novelist). The Resistance is constantly trying to distract him from what he does-- write. The principles found in The War of Art extend well beyond authorship, however. Anyone with any ambition, goal, or dreams, is susceptible to the Resistance. To counteract this powerful force, Pressfield suggests the following:

1. Stop being an Amateur and turn Pro. 
An Amateur is far to in love with the idea of what he/she does to be effective at it. Turning Pro forces you to approach your work in a detached, business like manner. A close look at any professional athlete will quickly demonstrate that they aren't just "playing around" at what they do-- they take it seriously, and love the game at the same time.

2. Just show up
Showing up and getting to work is 80% of the battle. There are many distractions that keep us from fully "showing up." Research, email, phone calls, coffee breaks, oil changes, and lunch appointments are good things that keep us from our real work.

3. Long Term Commitment
Let's be real. Nothing of significance is accomplished quickly. Anyone who wants to be successful is going to need to make a long-term commitment to showing up and being a pro.

4. Do it because you have to 
The true artists gives birth to his/her art because it is a burden on the soul. The artists doesn't paint/write/dance/sing to make money or to be famous, he does it because he must; like a pregnant women must give birth. Frequently an artist produces something that the "market" will not accept. This is not a failure on the part of the artist. He/she did what was within them, if no one else appreciates it, so what. Show up the next day and do the next thing.

Pressfield shares many more helpful principles related to overcoming the resistance and working with your inner Muse. Much more accustom to writing fiction than non-fiction, Pressfield clearly communicates the frustration, toil, and ardor, it takes to be an artist. There is nothing easy about it. There is no 5 step process to follow. Art is War. It comes down to hard work, focus, determination, and dedication. There is no easy way out. The resistance is never beat, it constantly tries to distract, scare, and confuse us unto living ordinary lives.