Adding YouTube Videos to iBooks Author

I am creating an eBook on the history of bioethics for nurses while also learning more about using iBooks Author.  I did not see an iBooks Author widget for YouTube videos, so I did a web search.  I found a free EASY to use website entitled Bookry.com with lots of neat widgets including one for YouTube. Bookry has a short video demonstrating the process.

Adding a YouTube video to an iBooks Author ebook is a four-step process - but it is quick and easy!

1. First create an eBook - just a title with a placeholder for widgets.
2. Add the YouTube widget to the Bookry ebook - name the YouTube video the subject of the video, add the name of the video, and the YouTube URL.
3. Save the YouTube video to your Mac downloads folder.
4. Drag the widget from the Mac downloads folder into your iBooks Author ebook.  From there you can use the Inspector to format and title the video.

Creating Digital Books

I am preparing for a workshop on creating eBooks.  I will demonstrate Apple iWork Pages, iBooks Author, and SoftChalk.  My special interest is creating interactive books.

• iWork Pages will save a file in an ePub format, which can be viewed on mobile devices.  The downside, is that the digital books are not interactive. 
• iBooks Author is my choice of platform.  The updates to the free software make it very easy to create interaction.  The downside is that you must use a Mac and that the books are available in iBooks Author for iBooks.  You can save the books as a PDF file, but then you lose all of the interaction.
• SoftChalk is a great tool to use when creating online lessons.  You can also design eBooks with the software and save them in an ePub format.  Although, SoftChalk indicates that there are a variety of interactive tools you can use with the ePub, I was able to only to create a one item interactive quiz.  Drag and drop and timeline revealed raw code.  I reported the problem.  The SoftChalk ePub feature is in beta development.  The other downside to SoftChalk is that the software is not free.  I am able to use it because our University has a site license. 

Creating eBooks with Active Textbook

After iBooks Author was released, many other eBook authoring tools were released.  I have shared several of the tools in my blogs.  I discovered a new one this afternoon, Active Textbooks.  Active Textbooks is an eBook authoring website.  There is a free and  "premium" version.  The free version is a good place to start. 

When you go to the website, http://activetextbook.com, there are a number of click through tutorials.  You do have to register to use the site.  The authoring tool allows users to upload a PDF document of the eBook.  You make the eBook interactive by adding things like animations, quizzes, and links to video, such as YouTube.  Since it is a website, it is not dependent upon a certain operating system. 

If you are interested in creating open access learning resources, the website is one you may want to explore.

Apps for Creating eBooks

I started the quest for exploring the creation of eBooks in February 2012 when iBooks Author was released.  When preparing for two presentations on ePublishing, I found new apps for creating eBooks as noted below.

iBooks Author is still available free, but only on a Mac computer.  eBooks created with it open only on an iPad.  It provides interactivity not available in other eBooks creation apps.

I have included Pages, the word processing software for the Mac.  You can save Pages files as an ePub file format.  ePub formats support the use of media such as sound and video.  Pages for the iPad files can be "shared" but not saved with the ePub format.

Composer Pro (Demibooks), eBook Creator, Creative Book Builder, Book Creator for the iPad, and eBook Magic+ are apps that work on the iPad or also on the iPhone.  Most are associated with a nominal fee.

When creating an eBook it is important to consider the audience, the file size, whether interactivity is important, and how the eBook will be distributed.

iBooks Author

Free - Works only on Mac computers

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks-author/id490152466?ls=1&mt=12 

Pages

$19.99 for Mac computers

Available through the Apple App store.  Used to save files in ePub format.  Allows for the use of media.

Apps for the iPad and iPhone

Composer Pro

Free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/composer-pro/id537026880?ls=1&mt=8 

eBook Creator

$3.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebook-creator/id448273828?mt=8 

Creative Book Builder

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creative-book-builder/id451041428?mt=8

$3.99

Book Creator for the iPad

$4.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070 

eBook Magic+ ePub, PDF, Photo Book maker & JPG collages

$4.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebook-magic/id424877762?mt=8 

Apps for Android Devices from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ebooks+creator&c=apps 

eBook Maker

Ideal ePub Maker

iBooks Author - Newest Version Updates

The newest edition of iBooks Author provides access to additional templates.  The first edition provided 6 templates.  In contrast, the current edition offers 9 templates for landscape with portrait viewing and 6 for portrait only viewing.  It is important to remember that everything about each of the templates is editable and the edits can be saved as a new template.  The main differences are the location of text and pictures and the styles of fonts used.  The current edition of iBooks Author provides the following templates for landscape and portrait view:

• Basic
• Contemporary
• Modern Type
• Classic
• Editorial
• Craft
• Photo Book
• Antique
• Cookbook

The following templates are available for portrait only viewing:

• Classic Text
• Photo Book
• Modern Basic
• Gazette
• Biography
• Charcoal

The two templates that interest me from a personal perspective are the 2 Photo Book templates and the Cookbook template.  Perhaps Apple will develop a Genealogy Template for me, although the Classic template may be perfect for adaptation.  Hopefully, one day we will have the opportunity to travel to Montana and Finland where I can incorporate photos and genealogy database information into an eBook.

Years ago, when Wayne and I traveled to France, I created a paper scrapbook for the trip memories.  An eBook would be a better solution because of the ability to share it with others.  Will keep creating an eBook in mind when we travel to Italy in a few weeks.

iBooks, Softchalk Cloud, and ePublishing

In preparation for a workshop on using iBooks Author this week in Las Vegas, I published five lessons on ePublishing created by members of the Georgia College faculty learning community to the Softchalk Cloud website at http://softchalkcloud.com/.  You do not need to be a member to access the lessons.  In the search box on the top upper part of the Softchalk Cloud window, type iBooks Author.  You should see the five lessons. 

CG, a member of the learning community edited an eBook created by students in his Maymester course.  He submitted it to the iBookstore for publication, but has not been notified that it has been reviewed.  Apple has been criticized because of the slow review process.  I had hoped that the eBook would be available for the workshop participants.  At any rate, CG uploaded it to my Dropbox.  I transferred it to the iPad last evening.  The eBooks is so awesome!! 

eBooks and Helpful Apps

I read a great blog, How to Create Your Own Textbook — With or Without Apple. The best part was the information on apps that were new to me. The blog author identified three steps for creating an eBook:
1) Aggregation where you gather all of the information.  She mentioned Delicious and Diigo.  As I noted in an earlier blog, Diigo includes some fantastic tools for annotating websites that I need to use.
2) Curation where you identify what you want to accomplish and the pertinent resources.
3) Creation where you create a repository for the learning resources.

The author also provided guidelines for targeting readers.  The questions are pertinent to designing any learning content:

1. How are learners going to use the information in the learning content?
2. How will they demonstrate what they have learned?  How will the instructor know?
3. What assessments are pertinent?

The apps that were new to me are:

• Paper.li to create and publish your own newspaper
• Twitted Times, another personal newspaper app
• Scoop.it to create and publish magazines