Blurts

Book Creator is an easy to use app (iOS, Android and Windows) for creating an ePub. I described my goal for an initial project in the previous post. The following image gives you the basic idea of the Book Creator interface. You work on one page at a time, position multimedia elements (text, images, video) on this page, and then arrange the elements as desired.

Since this approach is similar to many apps (including PowerPoint and Keynote), promoting Book Creator requires a focus on what might be unique. Book Creator allows a final product to be exported as a PDF, Video and as an Epub. If you are looking for an easy way to create ePubs (easier than Apple’s iBook Author), this might be it. I found the Windows version to lack the feature options of the iOS version (e.g., I think links to external resources are important in ePubs). The Windows version if free. The iPad version is $5.

I uploaded the video version of my sample project to YouTube.The text ends up being difficult to read, but this is a function of converting the video in YouTube.

I think the ePub format is more impressive. If you have the iBook player or another epub reader, you can download the ePub.

I plan a video tutorial for a future post.

I am working to creating a couple of tutorials demonstrating the potential of Book Creator (btw – free for Windows). Book Creator is available for android, iOS, and Windows.

When I create tutorials, I try when possible to reference a substantial project. I spend a lot of time in northern Wisconsin and this is an ideal location to photograph the colors of fall. I have decided to generate a Book Creator book to present photos from the season and to explain the biological/chemical processes that produce the colored vegetation. Should be a great learning experience and a good demonstration.

First step – collect images. Second step – create book.

Here is the link to the CNN content page for the Anderson Cooper Special – Being 13 (these are clips and context pieces, not the documentary). Much of the presentation seems negative and parents may blame technology, but perhaps this is how it was for all of us. I do not remember adolescence as particularly troubling, but this may be my adult perspective.

Anyone watch this heated exchange between Wolf Blitzer and House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)? The interview concerned the committee investigation of Planned Parenthood so I will avoid commenting on this politically charged topic. I want to comment on the value of critical thinking and information literacy.

When I taught Introduction to Psychology, one of the core concepts I thought was of value to all concerned notions regarding the processes of science. What qualifies as good evidence? One of the claims I made was that you can’t lie with statistics, but you can lie or at least misinform through the use of a faulty methodology leading to flawed interpretations.

There is a classic exchange in the Blitzer interview when Wolf brings up a chart used as part of the oversight committee hearing. Wolf kept saying the chart was misleading and Chaffetz kept saying he stood behind the statistics. The chart was drawn without a numerical marking of the Y axis and showed two crossing lines with money for abortions increasing and money for other services to women decreasing. The misleading thing about the chart was that most would assume the descending and ascending lines that actually crossed on the chart were based on the same scale. This was not the case. When drawn using the same scale, the abortion line was far below the line representing other statistics. While it did show a small increase and the line showing other spending a decrease, the flawed representation of scale gave a very different impression about how funds were allocated and how allocations may have been changing. The link I provide above contains the video, but also shows the chart. Take a look and see what you conclude.

Here is a more appropriate representation

I wish I could use this example in class. If done purposefully to misinform, it clearly is a lie. The lie kind of involves statistics, but it is really an example of misinformation based on the trust of those who assume you would not attempt to deceive them. Was Chaffetz lying with statistics? I guess it depends on how you define lying. Whatever the political position one supports, there should at least be honesty in how data are presented.