iBooks Author allows you to create really cool interactive textbooks for use on an iPad. Combine this with Pages for the production of epubs and you can create compelling resources to use with your students on a variety of platforms. In this session I will walk you through the creation of ebooks that can be used for in classroom instruction or to support a Flipped classroom. We’ll also toss in a little TPACK and rethink what a textbook can be.

Outline and Links:

• The tool I've been waiting for? A textbook doesn't exist for my electronics class, so I've been experimenting with making my own. epub was close, but had some key limitations.
• My Class Page - Pre-Engineering: Electronics with Microcontrollers
• iTunesU Course - Hosted on the MI-Learning Channel
• Teacher Created Textbooks
• Dan Meyer http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=12642
• Textbooks can serve the function you want. Traditionally they try to be complete reference books as well as books to teach. Your book doesn’t have to be both. You can leave some parts unanswered on purpose. Traditional textbooks can’t (or won’t).
• Projectile Motion Concept Building - You can match the tool to what you want your students to know and how you plan to teach it! TPACK.org
• Derek Muller on the effectiveness of videos to teach science.
• Overview of interactive iBooks
• My Examples and Works in Progress
• Anthony DiLaura’s Examples and Resources
• E.O. Wilson’s Book - Life on Earth
• Advantages
• Interactive - Can easily include videos and cool interactive elements
• Price* - Textbooks can be no more than $14.99
• Teacher Focused - It is the tool you need rather than the one a publisher thinks you need.
• Limitations
• Only iPad, must also have iOS 5 or later
• Still No Flash
• Files can get huge. If you have a lot of videos these books can get very big.
• Five Minute book creation:
• Choose Template
• Import text
• Add images and Gallery
• Add movies
• Add Keynote 
• Preview on iPad
• Emerson College has many iBooks Author Tutorials that can show you how to to all of this. They are a bit dry, but they are informative. Also check out my Suggested Resources for some free iBooks and other tutorials.
• Paste Content into Pages and export epub.
• Note, images and video files must be pasted in as in-line elements. If the text wraps around them they won't work as epub.
• ClassWidgets.com - Site that helps create widgets. Including: YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps
• iBooks Author Turned Up To 11, 1:05-2:00 pm, Room A113: This is a presentation I'll be giving this afternoon. In this session I focus on the creation of interactive widgets for inclusion in iBooks.