Books, eBooks and Magazine Articles
I have extensive experience writing for trade publications that feature Macintosh print media workflows. I was hired by Linotype to create desktop publishing training videos, because of my experience as a computer systems integrator with their laser image-setter.
Here, I was introduced to an early build of Adobe Acrobat from Adobe Computer Systems, who wanted me to test it for inclusion in the videos. Adobe told me of their long term goals to eventually replace print materials with interactive Adobe PDF files, and would provide me with all of the expertise to create compelling interactive training using Adobe PDF.
So began my long-time affiliation with Adobe as an Interactive PDF Evangelist, which took me all over North America to speak at many large conventions. I started a new company called pdfPictures to provide services for corporate clients with interactive books, magazines, and brochures to compliment their website offerings.
My first book for Pearson Publishing was a print book titled Dynamic Media – Music, Video, Animation, and the Web in Adobe PDF. According to Pearson Publishing’s press release, this book was the first of its kind, offering an interactive rich media PDF on a CD-ROM which was bundled with the book.
The Dynamic Media print book and eBook was first published in 2007. It presented a future where printed books would be replaced by interactive eBooks using a wide variety of rich media, such as interactive animations, audio, and video. Dynamic Media has been adopted as an educational reference text book by public and private art media schools all over the world.
The Future of Education
When I wrote Dynamic Media, the iPad was
just being introduced to the world by an enthusiastic Steve Jobs, who felt Apple
enthusiastic Steve Jobs, who felt Apple Computer should lead the way in education.
Steve felt text books were cumbersome and out of date; they no longer engaged the students, and needed to be interactive and entertaining, like the video games they had been raised on. I couldn’t agree enough with Jobs.
Educators need to realize that the internet has spawned a new generation of students that prefer to teach themselves on their own schedule. They embrace the internet, because it is interactive and engaging. However, the internet is a sea of misinformation too.
I feel that interactive eBooks like Apple offers, that feature audio, video, and animation, is the ideal way to teach students.
You don’t have to be stuck at a desk with a WIFI connection, and can take the Rich Media inside the book outside into the park with you. Since an internet connection is not required to watch embedded videos, activating airplane mode saves battery life.
Teachers can also have more control over internet access in the classroom. Schools don’t need to have wireless transmitters and receivers to be “always-on” and the RF (Radio Frequency) radiation can be reduced in the class room.