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The summit focused on the rise of tablet devices and
to advances in their ability to create digital content. This is extremely
relevant as about 1/3 of Americans and 760 million people globally will own a
tablet in 2016. This statistic has major implications for schools. If so many
people are going to own a tablet device in the near future, it is imperative
that schools and educators make content discoverable and share it. Businesses have
already realized this shift and have begun to intensely focus on the evolution
of tablet devices and apps. Tablet apps can get schools and educators closer to
their stakeholders on a device they love. Students and schools can create
content, share it, and have it available for all stakeholders to consume and to
interact with it. Once the content is created, it can be downloaded onto a
tablet and viewed with, or without, an Internet connection.
Schools that invest in tablets should prioritize iPad
first, as it currently dominates the market place and will continue to do so
for the foreseeable future, but should eventually scale across devices and
platforms. The exciting challenge then becomes creating authentic apps for the
school and classroom. Isn't this what education today is all about though?
Follow this link for some great resources to begin creating your own apps.
Sotherby's talked about moving over their paper
catalogues to digital. When you consider that they were printing 15 large paper
catalogues a year this proved to not only save a substantial amount of money,
but also increased consumer interactivity with their products. Schools could
easily create their course of study catalogues, curriculum guides, and sports
programs in a similar fashion using tools found in the Adobe Digital PublishingSuite (DPS). Another innovative idea would be for schools to create
interactive guides for their learning and athletic facilities where
stakeholders can rotate images 360 degrees. Additionally, features could be
added where anyone with the app could touch specific areas of the image and
receive detailed information about how certain forms of technology are used to
enhance the teaching and learning process. Think about how the course of
studies catalogue could come to life with short video clips of teachers in
action or discussions as to what students will learn and do in the course.
Taking this idea a step further, I envision art
students creating a portfolio of their work prior to an art show or even as a
culminating project. Stakeholders can then view the works that students have
created before, during, or after the show from anywhere in the world. Students
could even add descriptions and personal reflections on their art or even video
clips taking viewers through the creation process. I can even see the use of
apps by teachers to display student learning portfolios for all to see in the
future. School newspapers and magazines could be taken to an unparalleled level
with Adobe DPS.
Digital publishing tools will function to bridge the
gap between websites and traditional apps. In conjunction with apps, they can
be used to improve recruiting students that are thinking about attending
private schools, improve mobile presentations, improve stakeholder experiences
with the school, create a content distribution channel, enhance public relations,
improve tools for teachers to share what their students are learning, push
notifications out, and deliver real-time information. From what I know and have
seen in my own school, Adobe provides some of the best digital publishing tools available to schools. Their recent release of Creative Design Suite 6 and numerous tablet apps
provide all the means for schools to produce authentic digital content. The
possibilities are endless, but what is needed is a change in mindset amongst
many schools and educators. We need the will to accompany the means.
