Overview

This module provides solutions for Chinese heritage schools and teachers on building classroom e-Library. It includes the steps for creating e-books by integrating language learners' speaking, writing, listening and reading skills.

Building a library is a difficult task for a Chinese heritage School. Many Chinese heritage schools, school administrators and teachers in US are facing the same problems listed below.

1. There is no storage in the classroom since the majority of the Chinese heritage schools rent facilities from public or private school buildings as their school teaching location. Teachers need to carry all teaching materials and resources in and out of the classrooms. There is a degree of difficulty to carry students' library books around.
2. Due to the financial situation for Chinese heritage schools, it is rare to purchase extra reading books for each class, or to build a library for students.
3. There are different level of students in a Chinese heritage class. Finding the right level of books for each student is a challenge.

By using modern technology, we can easily solve the problem that Chinese heritage schools face. First of all, adapting the 21st Century Writing Workshop design in the classroom can have a positive effect on students’ motivation and engagement toward Chinese writing. Not only do students’ Chinese writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills improve but they also build up communication skills based on the three modes “Presentational mode”, “Interpretive mode”, and “Interpersonal mode” for language learning. Lastly, the publication of students’ writing can become the new e-books for the classroom library. Students enjoy reading their own and peers’ writing stories. The publications also can serve as students’ e-portfolio. It is a good evidence to show students’ growth to the parents during the parent-teacher conferences.

Learning Objective

I can provide learning tools to help students producing language for facilitate learning by creating a classroom e-library (LT2b)

Learning Topics

1. How to create an e-book?
2. How to build a digital library for a Chinese classroom?

How to Create an e-book?

What is e-book?

• An e-Book is an electronic version of a traditional print book that can be read by using a personal computer or by using an eBook reader on mobile devices.
• An e-Book reader can be a software application for use on a computer, or a book-sized computer that is used solely as a reading device.
• Users can get an eBook by purchasing a downloadable file of the eBook.
• Generally, an e-Book can be downloaded or browsed online.

What is E-book format?

• PDF--including text and pictures.
• ePub--including text, pictures, videos, and sound

ePub—This electronic publication is the most widely supported vendor, and can be used on a variety of devices including iPad, iPhone, Nook, Sony Reader and Android phone, but not on Kindle. AZW—Used by Amazon for its Kindle books, AZW incorporates many advantages of a previous format called MOBI.