Diving
into the e-book app world is daunting, to say the least, and I'd better confess my ignorance right now. At first glance, I assumed the guiding question “what do I
gain/lose by using digital books” was purely a matter of sensory experience –
the weight of a novel in your hands with real pages to turn vs. clicking the
screen on a device to view the next page.
After reading the Zipke article, however, I discovered the wonders of
e-book apps, or “bapps” if I want to sound trendy. How engaging for students to
not only become immersed in a great text, but to enhance the experience by
interacting with the characters, having choice in the narrative or plot, and
explore links to enrich their understanding of a time, place, or a song that is
an integral part of the story.
While
most of the articles focused on elementary students, my experience teaching eighth
graders prompted me to search for appropriate digital book apps for this
demographic. The Zipke article advises the importance of choosing the right
e-book app for one’s students. One that has “the potential to bring exciting new digital
features to the reader, but needs to be in conjunction with strong writing,
interesting language, subject matter that draws students in, and developmentally
appropriate themes” (p. 376).
Adding
to Zipke’s criteria, the Jonas-Dwyer article points out the need to “consider
whether the app providers keep the information private. Make sure you read the privacy
information provided by the app developer. A Wall Street Journal investigation
found that smart phones may, in some cases without your knowledge send your
device’s unique ID, age, gender and/or location to external sites” (p.55). This
was a problem in my school. While there were several apps teachers wished to
use, the students were required to divulge personal information to sign up
which resulted in students and parents receiving unexpected e-mail
solicitations. Needless to say, that experience made most of our teachers wary
of trying apps that weren’t already approved by the school district.
Despite
the negative experience my school had with apps, the right book app can inspire a reluctant reader to look forward to and
enjoy the process of reading thanks to the extra incentives and support. Armed with the knowledge provided by this week’s readings, I began my
search for the perfect batch of books apps for eighth graders.
Holy
information overload, Batman.
There
were So. Many. Apps. After casting too wide a net with my first searches, I tried
to be very specific with terms like "award-winning interactive fiction for
middle school." I found some great potential e-books, but more
information was needed. For example, an award-winning interactive version of
Sherlock Holmes popped up, available for $2.99, but there was no “lite page” as Zipke referred
to the free preview.
 |
|
SHERLOCK:
Interactive Adventure by HAAB.
Available on iTunes
|
I did have some success,
however. An interesting prospect that can help me find the right apps for
middle school students is the School Library Journal’s Ebook Market Directory. This directory provides a snapshot of nineteen vendors
that offer the spectrum of buying, renting, or leasing e-books based on a
specific target age. Still a daunting task to sift through all of the
information, but it seems like a good place to start. Another website with good
potential for my target audience was Common Sense Graphite. I liked their ratings system, and the information was easy to scan. I also
tried the Kirkus Review and New York Times reviews as Zipke recommends, but
those weren't as user friendly as the ones I found.
Despite the challenge of filtering through the plethora of information,
the search is worth it. Finding the right e-book(s) for that student who needs
a little extra motivation and support can potentially make all the difference.
With the rapid pace in which technology is advancing, the process of
pinpointing the right app should only get easier.
A
question for my peers: do you use e-book apps in your classroom, and if so, how
did you find them?
Beth, I love that even though we teacher such different ages we have such common ground. The articles I selected were focused around how to build an e-book library. I had not thought about what made a quality e-book to children. I personally reading using a Kindle, but had not considered that books could enhance the reading experience for children.
ReplyDeleteI also struggled to find quality e-books when looking for examples. I agree that trying the Lite versions are the best choices. I do often worry about accessibility and my students all being able to access the e-books. I would love to hear more about how you see this going in your classroom. What does the technology look like in your room?
I wonder since your students are older if in addition to e-books, using news and other important literature would help students grow as readers and as active citizens. Thanks for the great post!
Hi Kylie - I think using news and other non-fiction works would be great for secondary students, and with the right e-book app, infinitely more appealing. You asked what technology looks like in my classroom... my experience is based on student teaching last semester, and we didn't use any e-book apps (or read anything on line, for that matter.) However, it would be fairly easy to integrate, as my CT had eight iPads (that she purchased herself!) for use in her classroom, as well as access to Chromebook carts every other day. It's just making that leap to digital that can be quite overwhelming initiatlly.
DeleteBeth, I love that even though we teacher such different ages we have such common ground. The articles I selected were focused around how to build an e-book library. I had not thought about what made a quality e-book to children. I personally reading using a Kindle, but had not considered that books could enhance the reading experience for children.
ReplyDeleteI also struggled to find quality e-books when looking for examples. I agree that trying the Lite versions are the best choices. I do often worry about accessibility and my students all being able to access the e-books. I would love to hear more about how you see this going in your classroom. What does the technology look like in your room?
I wonder since your students are older if in addition to e-books, using news and other important literature would help students grow as readers and as active citizens. Thanks for the great post!
Beth, I am also interested in hearing other responses to that question. My students have access to a library of e-books through the Overdrive application which is provided through our school district. Students are able to check the books out like regular library books and then read them on either a school iPad or tablet at home. What I have noticed though is that these e-books are a simple online version of what is already available in print. With upper elementary grades, I've struggled to find interactive books that would be appropriate for the levels of readers in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe website that you posted from Common Sense Graphite seems like a great resource to start with for finding appropriate apps. I recognize several of these as sources that I personally use as the teacher, but I'm curious if the apps are more student friendly and allow students to access content that is appropriate for their level. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sara -- I hadn't heard of the Overdrive app. Will be sure to check that out!
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ReplyDeleteHi Rawa - how fun that you use ebooks at home with your daughter! Have you found any interesting interactive titles? I think my daughter would have a blast with those, but sadly, before this class I didn't know they existed. ;-)
ReplyDelete