When 2012 rolled around, Andrea Santilli, a teacher at Woodlawn Beach Middle School in Gulf Breeze, Florida, wanted to find a new way to challenge her 7th grade Advanced Life Science students. She wanted to help thems develop relevant lifelong skills in addition to their regular studies, so Santilli set out on a unique quest.
"I wanted to give them the opportunity to be published so they could use this as part of their academic resume and to make what they learn have real meaning," says Santilli. So she turned to Apple.
After the launch of iBooks Author in January, Santilli immediately recognized the potential of the powerful new software and jumped on it. Instead of simply looking at the app as a way to expand the students' digital skills, Santilli saw it as an opportunity to have her class become the first group of 7th graders to publish a digitally interactive book, and to have their work available not just locally but to anyone around the world.
Fortuantely, the class managed just that. The book is an interactive field guide of Northwest Florida titled Creatures, Plants and More!, and was released in the iBookstore on April 26. The response has been tremendous: the book has already been downloaded 1,000 times.
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