Here’s session one of my recent iBooks Author (iBA) training workshop. This one-hour session was designed to introduce iBA to about a dozen teacher at LaSalle Catholic College Preparatory in Portland Ore. I covered what can iBA do and workflow suggestions for next steps. I stressed it’s not about the technology – book design begins with content, audience and purpose. Their next step is to gather content, think about how to present it with iBA’s native (and second party) widgets.
Here’s a resource site I built for the session Get Started with iBA
If you want to follow along with my widget review -download my guide – Quick Start: iBooks Author free at iTunes I’m demonstrating all the widgets found in chapter 2.
We shot a video of the session using a stationary webcam. Not the best quality (off center and off mic) – but some may find it useful. Here’s a rough outline of what I discussed.
1. Widget intro (chapter 2 in Quick Start: iBooks Author)
2. I demonstrated project work flow using my latest iBA project “Lost Japantown PDX” (working title). See reveal widget video demonstration here.
- Gather content and archive in Evernote
- Format content – edit video, crop images, edit text
- Begin layout of book pages in a program like Keynote. Remember that it’s not easy to rearrange pages in iBA. Keynote provide a simple way to get you content in order
- Begin to build iBook in iBA.
3. Considerations – file size, user experience, copyright
4. A collaborative iBook design project I did with my University of Portland students Exploring History – free at iTunes.
Calling all educators! Here’s your excuse to come to Portland Ore and have a great time while expanding your PLN. I’ll be there with a very talented group of Pacific NorthWest educators who are interested in sharing ideas for creating engaging classrooms. You’ll have a good time and leave with loads of great ideas for the classroom. 
