I have chosen to write this book, Transforming Classrooms to Learning Studios using a blog because I like the fact that I can write and self-publish whenever I want. I can then edit and republish (Update) whenever I want for as many times as I want. For example, I wrote the first sentence above and then hit the 'Publish' button to lock in a web (URL) address so that I could start making a linkable Table of Contents. You might be thinking, he's 'building the plane while flying it,' and you would be right, and another great reason to use a blog to write and organize a book.
Printed books are wonderful of course, but if you want to use video and colored photographs integrated in the narrative, then this is a nice non-linear option, especially if you're here to experience some non-traditional thinking about K-12 classrooms.
I value HTML, the basic computer code for creating content on the Internet currently hiding under these very words. Here's a quick look of that code under the hood -
I have learned that a blog is a fantastic medium for linking and sharing ideas using a social media format to not only write a book, but to simultaneously promote and get readers hitting your book while you're writing it. Blogs also allow readers to write a comment below each post, giving the author direct feedback. Who knows, with your feedback, you might become a mechanic on this plane?
Are you currently reading this blook on your smartphone? I think this is much more interactive than reading an eBook that uses either the EPUB or Kindle File Format for storing books on a Kindle device for example. My frustration with Kindle-like eBooks is that they just have etext and graphics within a terrible navigation system. If I wanted just text and graphics, I can read a printed book. In fact recently, I have stopped using my Kindle Paperwhite, and have gone back to buying printed books because I can easily mark it up and quickly go back to sections I want to reread.
Okay, the big elephant in the room, as you're probably thinking, "This poor fellow just couldn't get a real book deal through a print publisher." You would be right on that score too, but that shouldn't stop me from doing something I'm passionate about, with possibly a little multimedia flare!
You might also say, "He's certainly not going to make any money writing this blog book," but in this stage of my life, that's not my goal. My goal here, is to get you motivated to want to change a traditional classroom of the the same desks and chairs into a create cozy learning space. Let's call that space a studio where all the students come to school everyday to create stuff.
References
- THEFREEDICTIONARY.COM website, Blook - definition of blook by The Free Dictionary (Available at: https://www.thefreedictionary.com/blook, Last accessed 4th March 2021)
- WIKIPEDIA.ORG website, E-book - Wikipedia (Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book, Last accessed 4th March 2021)
- WIKIPEDIA.ORG website, EPUB - Wikipedia (Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB, Last accessed 4th March 2021)
- WIKIPEDIA.ORG website, HTML - Wikipedia (Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML, Last accessed 4th March 2021)
- WIKIPEDIA.ORG website, Kindle File Format - Wikipedia (Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindle_File_Format, Last accessed 4th March 2021)
- YOUTUBE.COM website, The best 10 sec fireworks eva! - YouTube (Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1zjZUWmY38, Last accessed 4th March 2021) - WIKIPEDIA.ORG website, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite - Wikipedia (Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Kindle#Kindle_Paperwhite_(First_generation), Last accessed 4th March 2021)
