Another way to build flippable books

I must admit, I do like the idea of creating and distributing flippable digital magazines and books. There's something slick about the page flipping action, especially when accompanied by the sound of a page turning. (Although, sometimes, I do wonder about the real utility of creating the semblance of a book on a webpage..what's wrong with the webpage format? But that's just me...) I've mentioned a couple of other services before, and just recently came across "Youblisher". While it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that Issuu and others have, the view only shows your digital magazine. You don't have to worry about other "unsavory" or inappropriate content showing up on the sidebar. Youblisher is a snap to use: 1) create an account, 2) upload the PDF, 3) share the link - so easy. The one drawback that I can see is that you have no obvious way of viewing the content on an iOS device. (You can choose the download link, and open it as a PDF in another viewer, but it would be nice if the mobile view defaulted to PDF right away.) Youblisher give you the embed code (big and small) and a URL link.


(Link to a sample.)
You could get students to create their own magazine using whatever software package you prefer: Word, Publisher, InDesign, etc. Print it as a PDF and then upload. Newsletters, flyers, teacher-created textbooks, self-published stories...lots of ways to use it.

Machine Generated Music

Do you want to use some music for a video clip or some classroom activity, but you want to avoid using a recognizable piece? Why don't you try "WolframTones". According to the site, "WolframTones works by taking simple programs from Wolfram's computational universe, and using music theory and Mathematica algorithms to render them as music."  Sometimes a tune will sound familiar, but rest assured that each tune is unique. You can adjust most of the parameters: tempo, key, mode, genre. Make it your own!

TodaysMeet Video Tutorial

Last school year, I blogged about TodaysMeet as a useful tool for setting up a back channel in your class or presentation. Russell Stanard has put together a nice Camtasia video that walks you through setting up this application. (When you go to his site, you'll have to wait a moment or so while the video screen loads.)

Diagram it online

Take brainstorming to the Web using another cool web based app called Diagram.ly. You can plan for your class writing with Diagram.ly, a cloud-based visualization application. It's mind-mapping with a flow chart twist. Diagramly is free with no registration required.