Easy Infographics and Charts

http://www.good.is/infographics

Infographics seem to be the hottest way to communicate information on the web nowadays. Using an infographic can be a great way to present information in a format that is more appealing and memorable than just using text-based documents. Students and teachers can use infographics as discussion starters or tools to evaluate complex information and relationships. The web magazine and news site Good.is uses infographics to present information and enhance articles on their web site. Good.is even has a section that is dedicated to presenting the infographics that are used on their web site.

What if you want to create your own infographics or charts to present information to students? Or even better, what if you want students to create infographics or charts to synthesize information and demonstrate their evaluation of data and content? In the past, students and teachers have been limited to using markers and paper, or a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Docs Spreadsheet, to create posters or charts to display information visually. The activity of using these traditional tools often takes extra class time and can become a barrier to students' learning, because the focus of learning shifts from the evaluation of information to the activity of creating the chart or poster itself. Infogr.am is aiming to change this.


Infogr.am is a new web site that allows users to easily create charts and will soon expand to include creating visually appealing infographics. Using Infogr.am to create charts requires three things, a device connected to the Internet, a Facebook or Twitter account for log in access, and data. The data-entry interface is easy to use and the generation of charts is automatic.  Infogr.am charts can be embedded into web sites, making it easy for students and teachers to share charts and data visualizations.

Power of QR

QR codes are everywhere.  Some people know what they are, some people have no clue.  Basically a QR code is a bar code that can store much more information than a bar code.  You can place anything with a URL behind it, text, phone numbers, etc...

In order to make QR codes work, you will need a couple things.  First, you need a QR code reader on your tablet or smartphone.  To find one, go to your app store and search for QR reader or scanner.  Find one that is free and try it out.  If you don't like it, delete it and try another one.  Second, you will need a QR code generator.  These can be found online and the one I use is Kaywa and can be found here.  Third, you will need something to put behind the QR code, such as a link or text.  Put your information in, and have fun!

Uses in the classroom:
Instead of writing links on the board, place a QR code around the room and have students scan.

Put your contact information behind the code and place it outside your door for people to scan.

Have your students create videos about their artwork, post the videos to YouTube and put the link behind the QR code and post next to the artwork.

Google QR codes in the classroom and you will get TONS of ideas of how to use these in your classroom.

Publishing with iBooks Author

iBooks Author from O'Reilly

In their eBook from O'Reilly, Publishing with iBooks Author, Nellie McKesson and Adam Witwer quickly establish why they believe iBooks Author is worth considering. According to McKesson and Witwer, iBooks Author is now the best digital publishing tool available. 

"If you’re looking to create books that are digital first, use dynamic page designs, and are truly interactive, there is no better tool for the job than iBooks Author." - McKesson & Witwer

A quick preview of Publishing with iBooks Author, reveals that this eBook offers readers insights and advice about the basic components of book publishing and layout in addition to a thorough tutorial for using iBooks Author.

With iBooks, Apple is trying to change the textbook industry and equip students and teachers with more effective and relevant tools to access and share information. The iBooks Author app gives teachers and students the tools to produce dynamic books, and as a guide, Publishing with iBooks Author will help them produce quality publications.

Publishing with iBooks Author is currently a free download from O'Reilly and is available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats.