The Macintosh iLife 04 in the Classroom [Paperback]

Jim Heid (Author), Nikos Theodosakis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0321256050 | ISBN-13: 978-0321256058

As a teacher, one problem you face again and again is how to get your students engaged with a topic. Apple's iLife software suite presents the perfect solution. With simple yet powerful tools for making movies, working with photographs, producing DVDs, and making music, the creative iLife applications can enhance just about any educational experience. This special edition of Jim Heid's bestselling interactive guide to Apple's iLife includes practical information especially for K-12 teachers.

Filmmaker and educational consultant Nikos Theodosakis introduces the book with practical guidance to help you integrate digital media into your classroom routine. Jim's video tutorials, augmented by beautiful four-color illustrations, give you the technical know-how you need to work with the software. Finally, Nikos selected and adapted ten of the award-winning lesson plans from Apple Computer's iLife Educator contest and provided them at the end of the book (also available for download from the book's companion Web site), so you and your students in virtually any subject area or age level can begin using the creative iLife applications classroom right away.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

As a teacher, one problem you face again and again is how to get your students engaged with a topic. Apple's iLife software suite presents the perfect solution. With simple yet powerful tools for making movies, working with photographs, producing DVDs, and making music, the creative iLife applications can enhance just about any educational experience. This special edition of Jim Heid's bestselling interactive guide to Apple's iLife includes practical information especially for K-12 teachers.

Filmmaker and educational consultant Nikos Theodosakis introduces the book with practical guidance to help you integrate digital media into your classroom routine. Jim's video tutorials, augmented by beautiful four-color illustrations, give you the technical know-how you need to work with the software. Finally, Nikos selected and adapted ten of the award-winning lesson plans from Apple Computer's iLife Educator contest and provided them at the end of the book (also available for download from the book's companion Web site), so you and your students in virtually any subject area or age level can begin using the creative iLife applications classroom right away.

About the Author

Jim Heid is one of the most admired writers and instructors in the Mac community. A contributing editor of Macworld magazine since 1984, and author of its monthly "Digital Hub" column, he has been using and teaching each of the programs in the iLife suite since its debut.

Nikos Theodosakis is a filmmaker and the author of the book The Director in the Classroom: How Filmmaking Inspires Learning. A frequent keynote speaker and presenter at education conferences throughout North America, he has worked with students and teachers from kindergarten to college, exploring the use of filmmaking as a tool for classroom teaching and learning. His innovative "classroom-to-community" approach has earned him numerous awards in Canada, where he lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321256050
• ISBN-13: 978-0321256058
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,985,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Computers & Technology > Apple > iLife

More About the Author

Jim Heid describes himself as a poster child for Apple's iLife software: he has been taking photos, making movies, and playing music since he was a kid. His best-known book series, "The Macintosh iLife," is the world's top-selling line of iLife books.

He began writing about personal computers in 1980, when he computerized his home-built ham radio station with a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I. As Senior Technical Editor of one of the first computer magazines, Kilobaud Microcomputing, he began working with Mac prototypes in 1983. He began writing for Macworld magazine in 1984, and is now a Senior Contributor. He has also written for PC World, Internet World, and Newsweek magazines, and wrote a weekly, nationally syndicated technology column for the Los Angeles Times.

Jim is a frequent speaker at user groups, conferences, and other events. He has taught at the Kodak Center for Creative Imaging in Camden, Maine, at the University of Hawaii, and at dozens of technology conferences in between.

Jim blogs about iLife and digital media topics at www.macilife.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 75 Additional Very Helpful Pages, December 14, 2004

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 04 in the Classroom (Paperback)

The Mac and iLife make a great teaching tool. The basic concept of computers, that they aren't very bright and persist in doing just what you tell them to do rather than what you want them to do is very well brought out. You can certainly teach these things using subjects the kids understand like music, photos, and movies rather than the more traditional word processing, spread sheets, etc.

Basically this book is the authors best selling book on using this software combined with about seventy five pages of information specially aimed at teachers on using this book in the classroom. Seventy five pages of material is enough to make the design of a class around this subject much easier, but not enough to take away all of your work.

The disk that comes with the book contains both DVD information that may help you or some of your advanced students with the concepts. It also contains additional materials that will help with the teaching/learning task.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much new, August 2, 2004

By 

L. A. Strom "JennySayQuah" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 04 in the Classroom (Paperback)

Identical to Heid's regular (and pretty good) iLife book with a bit of additional material added. Not what I was expecting in a separate new volume - was expecting much more of a teaching orientation that this book provides.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lighten up! This is a great teacher's guide, July 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Macintosh iLife 04 in the Classroom (Paperback)

I received a copy of this book at the NECC conference in New Orleans, and plan to get copies for all the teachers at my school. This book is a great teacher's companion, and it's a lot more than just an "extra chapter" on teaching.

The front section of the book contains a long essay about using digital media in the classroom. It was written by Nikos Theodosakis, who wrote "The Director in the Classroom." He's a real teacher's teacher when it comes to digital media. The essay ranges from philosophical (why use digital media for learning) to practical (how to share a couple of camcorders with an entire classroom).

The back section of the book contains about 10 lesson plans from Apple's Distinguished Educator contest. The lesson plans are very detailed -- broken down into phases, with great tips on shooting, getting better sound, and assessing student progress.

Also, I was amazed that this book doesn't cost an extra cent more than Heid's "The Macintosh iLife '04". They're both the same price, even though this book has about 100 more pages! It's as if Mr. Heid and his publisher were giving this extra material to teachers. I really appreciated that.

This book will change the way our school uses iLife and digital media, and I for one am very glad that PeachPit Press and company have paid attention to educators.