The Alabama Virtual Library has a collection of 325 FREE E-Books from Encyclopedia Britannica that you can use with your computer, tablet, or e-reader. Residents of Alabama do not need a username and password because AVL is now using geo-authentication access for anyone with an ISP in the state of Alabama.
To download books:
(Note: You will need to download the iPublishCentral Reader software or app to your computer or device.)
- Go to http://www.avl.lib.al.us
- Click on Student Resources – then choose Elementary School from dropdown list
- Click on Britannica E-Books
- Choose the collection, or single e-book, you want to download
- If you chose a collection, click on the single e-book you want to download
- Click the download symbol at the bottom of the record. You'll also see the link to iPublishCentral Reader if you haven't already downloaded it.
- Click on the green arrow at the bottom to download the book.
- Click Open in “Reader”
- The book appears with any others you have downloaded on a bookshelf in the iPublishCentral Reader app.
It's a great way to use high quality books in your classroom for whole group or small group instruction. Students can also use them on their own for research projects. That's what I plan to do with 3rd and 4th graders in the coming weeks!
Everyone has a story to tell. ePub Bud is a free Web tool to help you and your students become publishers. You have to register for an account using an email.* Then, the Web site steps you through each phase of creating your own ebook, including adding text, images, video, and audio files. Or, upload a file that you created using an ebook compatible format. When you are done, choose to keep the book private (viewable by those who know the URL only), or share it with the world. You can even buy an ISBN for your book ($5) and sell your book through Apple, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. When children can see themselves as published writers, they are bound to be more motivated and committed to creating higher quality work. Why not start by writing a class story together?
*students can use the same account, or you can try registering for different accounts using the Gmail +s1 trick
I really want ebooks for my school. Now that every teacher has 5 iPads in the classroom, ebooks make a lot more sense. I visited the Brain Hive booth at ISTE and was very impressed. They offer some great options. First, you don't have to purchase a collection. Books are rented for $1 per click out, or you can purchase books that are yours to keep forever. Having access to data about books with high rental rates would make the decision about which books to purchase easier. Brain Hive hosts the rented and purchased books on their server, but can transfer purchased books to your server, if preferred. For the rental plan, they offer several options to ensure that you stay within budget and one click happy student doesn't spend all your money without even reading the books. AR quizzes are also available from within the program, but I'm not sure how this would tie back to the student's account in Renaissance Place. I'm intrigued though and looking for a grant that will let me give this service a try.
