self publishing 2017

Hey you guys... I have an awesome deal for you! I know someone who is wishing to get started as a freelance proofreader (not editor; just a proofreader), and to build her portfolio she is looking for projects she could proofread for FREE. You can't beat that price! In return she'd want a testimonial from you. I've used her before (she actually volunteered to proofread one of the Wayzgoose Press books) and she caught stuff I'd missed. She's not an ELT teacher, but she is bilingual (Russian/English) so she 'gets' second language stuff. Her name is Julia Shtromberg and her email is Elfhippy@yandex.ru. I told her I'd mention her to this course, so if you contact her, just tell her you'r from Dorothy's publishing course.

Slowly but steadily, I am working on my 12 Months' materials. Here is January (the Holocaust) in the making. A few words of explanation: it was originally a plan based on abstracts from Anne Frank's Diary and I tried to find ways to still use the story, but not the quotes. Let me know if you think it can work like this. Thank you!

After taking Dorothy's advice on font sizing and picture sizing, this is a version I'm fairly happy with as a paperback. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzeTdIM3MzbjQ1Rms/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4sp7y6HAYkCZ3NPN0dEZVlPQ0k/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4sp7y6HAYkCZ3NPN0dEZVlPQ0k/view?usp=sharing

Dear all, I have been busy travelling from Oman to algeria then to my city... and I feel stuck to choose an appropriate tool, so for those who tried them which one would you recommend?

Here's the black and white line drawing version of the book - again, it's a zip file so I set it to open with zip-unzip. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzZHZlbnZXWDZyZUk/view?usp=sharing

Okay - here's a version with the color pics for the Tiger Biker story uploaded - it is a zip file so I linked it to an unzip app. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzR3N3RXNCYktHd0E/view?usp=sharing

Playing around with Vellum suddenly solved at least one problem - I found out we can actually edit in Vellum once the content is there, and if I use their insert image function, the pictures 'hang together' much better than if they were in the word doc. Hooray!

Dorothy E. Zemach Hi, does the table of contents need to be hyperlinked internally to the relevant sections? Is it done manually?

Dorothy E. Zemach Hi, Dorothy, I'd like to take you up on the images offer from Adobe. There are 4 images I would like to use.... Is it possible?

OMG, I've tried reformatting to fix the paragraph problems. That appears to have been fixed but now it does page breaks where it shouldn't! I'm posting the files, but still far from finished. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzabOwdAy5z3TlB6VnkyQ2NUVDg?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzabOwdAy5z3TlB6VnkyQ2NUVDg?usp=sharing

Finished converting a small sample of my work. Rather frustrating to see so many things either out of place or just looking so different. I guess it just takes some getting used to the format and the way eBooks work ...

Dears Following your advice regarding the windowpane look of my cover, here is another candidate. What do you think?

Here's first draft of my ebook in word format and EPUB format. It is a sample of Unit 1 for feedback and improvements. I have saved a template as a fixed layout template for all coming units. MS Word: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxe91QH4L6aLb3htUHAyRHEtU0U/view?usp=sharing EPUB: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxe91QH4L6aLd1VYNVMxS0dWS0U/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxe91QH4L6aLd1VYNVMxS0dWS0U/view?usp=sharing

I'd like to share some samples for a cover for my book. I really appreciate your feedback.

Thanks for all the feedback! Here's a revised cover with a softer green and my name. Green is the color for the US university I work for, so we try to use it as much as possible as a way of branding things as ours, so I'm trying to stick with it.

Dorothy E. Zemach - have you tried to use Vellum to create a paperback where the illustrations and text can be worked together, to make an illustration a single page?

One of the sites I recommended for pre-made covers is having a $25 sale--which is actually a super price on professional covers. On pre-mades, you cannot change the design, but you CAN (of course) change the title and subtitle and author name. http://goonwrite.com/ http://goonwrite.com/

So I have tried uploading the first draft on calibre and vellum (free feature) I like the look of the ebook in Vellum (kindle fire preview). I have looked at it in my iPad and iPhone and they look great. Totally worth an investment in the future. Also, calibre provides a clear presentation of the information. In both, tables are not possible to be seen, so following Dorothy's instruction I am working on changing to images. I will have my complete ebook by Sunday and will try to have part of the second one as a draft as well. Working hard and really looking forward to Saturday's session. This has definitely been a great course! I like this feeling of learning new things and seeing how they work out immediately!! Thanks Barbara, Steve and Dortothy!

Is it appropriate to include one's credentials on the book cover?

Here's a draft of the cover for my WIP. Canva is amazing. I am not very visual and stuff like this can be stressful for me, but the program made it so easy. One question I had was about copyright. The image I'm using is from Canva and was labeled free - is it OK to use? This will be a free download for my students, if that makes any difference?

Right - just the text for the Tiger Biker (only one with color pics so far!) and here's a screenshot of the book! As you can see - quite a few problems with getting text and pictures to work together, but I look forward to our next session. Hopefully by then I'll have more color pics for the e-book versions, or at least completed all the line drawings for the paperback version. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzaXRRTUZTRFVSWUU/view?usp=sharing

Hi! I have managed to upload the manuscript to Calibre and convert it to .epub and .mobi. I have checked. The .mobi version with the Kindle app on my iPad and it is mostly ok. Things I still need to work out: blank line between paragraphs, some lists.... I am surprised the pics came out ok!

For one week only, here's a pack of free fonts! Good for things like ebook covers. Free forever, and cleared for commercial use to. Enjoy! https://thehungryjpeg.com/bundle/80487-free-font-bundle-worth-279/ https://thehungryjpeg.com/bundle/80487-free-font-bundle-worth-279/

Question - once we've played with the format of our text, and ran it through some e-book readers to see how it looks (and I'm struggling with incorporating the images into an e-book!), anything else we need to do before out next live session?

My new work-in-progress from a sprint Monday with Catherine and Aziz. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_pJEv-qJ4jVMzE5RWJwbDAzS1U/view?usp=sharing

Hi authors, Here is section 3 of my work. Wow Wrtiting is really tough, but when I finish I feel relieved. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByjDsaE1H6epR2FvbUpiaTZETUE/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByjDsaE1H6epR2FvbUpiaTZETUE/view?usp=sharing

And the one with the names on the white strip https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzRTRlMHBQRWdRRmc/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzRTRlMHBQRWdRRmc/view?usp=sharing

Here's the updated version - for some strange reason I can't get the picture to resize to fit the placeholder - so I left a white strip at the bottom - possibly place the names there? What do you think? https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzYUROMUpPTVU3Q0U/view?usp=sharing

Just as an experiment I asked the third grade class to color a line drawing of the cover picture. Here's their take on it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzZVZnNlJTU3Rkclk/view?usp=sharing

Updated version. Thanks for the positive feedback on the concept. 1) Thoughts on the photo credit on the bottom: Is the font too small/big? I don't want it to be obtrusive, but neither do I want it to get lost. 2) Is the grey (gray) font colour on the author's name too pale ? 3) I've added a little something extra on the right side of the cover. This might seem a bit weird - it's an icon I will put on all materials I distribute for this course (PPTs, Handouts, etc.), usually as a footer. I'm not sure if it works on the cover, but I thought I'd ask others' opinions. Other thoughts welcome! I'm going to stop thinking about my own stuff and look at other peoples' now!

Hi there, I'm trying to format my book according to Smashwords Style Guide. It is a little long and takes some time , but I think it is useful. What do you think? I mean is there some kind of short cut? A simple way to learn from it. Do we have to follow and apply everyting ? https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52

How do you guys get your covers organized to show them next to each other?

Ok, I've done 4 more covers based on your feedback.... Which one now?

And one more with a different font and the picture cropped to eliminate the white edges. I'll have to work on getting the pic to fill the whole cover, but what do you think of the font and placing? https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzbU9Xczg4QVlDOWs/view?usp=sharing

Here's a new version of the cover. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzeTZZYjlBM1pwTlU/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzeTZZYjlBM1pwTlU/view?usp=sharing

If you are looking for free images to play with for your cover, I have a list of sites with images that are free for commercial use. Some of the sites have images you pay for, as well, but it's easy to tell which are which. I've also added a link to the resources page in the links for this community. http://teachingvillage.wikispaces.com/Images

Any thoughts on what kind of cover this needs? Bear in mind it's primary/secondary and focused on ER (not readers). Also, all feedback welcome!

Hello everyone! These are my proposals for covers! All your input is greatly appreciated! Sorry I missed yesterday's live session!

What about this cover?

What tools are you using to make the cover? Suggestions welcome!

Hi, there, it took me longer than expected but I decided to upload my draft after revising it under Dorothy's suggestions. So here it is, my collection of articles... I would really appreciate your comments. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzabOwdAy5z3MFhOTmRUR2pvYjQ/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzabOwdAy5z3MFhOTmRUR2pvYjQ/view?usp=sharing

Dorothy E. Zemach - I've been checking out vellum, and seeing that I have a number of other books that I want to publish (nothing to do with ELT) I'm going to splurge and give myself the birthday present of buying it. It truly does look fantastic (but then I'm an Apple groupie!)

And here's the second one. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzX1B4bnRHRGVhRVE/view?usp=sharing

I would probably pay for a nice image. This is from Pixabay.

My first cover with canva https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzWG94dXBjLTN0MzA/view?usp=sharing

May I just say here that Barbara is amazing! A section for each of us! Overnight! A big bouquet to you Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto

Hi guys, Which one of the covers you think is the best?

Dear All, Here are my three cover options created using www.canva.com The design is the same, the titles are different. Which one do you prefer?

Here is the link to the first section of my WIP. It is a manual to go with a chapter from a English business text book to help prepare university students to study abroad. There are 8 learning objectives in the chapter. This covers the introduction and the first objective. One of the problems I find with my students is that they read, and many times can repeat parts of the book, but don't really understand what it means or think critically about the information. One of my main goals is to push students beyond memorizing a definition. I am also trying to include activities that will require them to do research in English on their own. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f7fFnbgCJUPiDbFJgi21ECFSS_npOpIs2ARyf8LcTo8/edit?usp=sharing

Photo credits. Where do photo credits usually go in ebooks? Or is it in the same manner as print books: overlaid or captioned image-by-image, or on a page at the end? (Would this post be better in discussion?)

Foreign languages. Can we, or perhaps how can we, incorporate languages like Korean into our books - if they don't work in Times New Roman? For instance, Korean.

This is the style of cover I'm thinking of. The basic elements and layout would (or could) be used for this and any subsequent courses I teach here. Layout needs a bit of tweaking, but... your thoughts?

Do you have questions about formatting your ebook? Or are you having problems with one of the tools? There's always a learning curve! If you'll post your questions or problems in the comments, here, it will make it easy for Dorothy to find them.

Video tutorial -- how to generate a shareable link for your google doc that will enable comments https://youtu.be/UiJ0gu2vMIE

A document to practice commenting

Hi everyone, Here's my WIP... It's a rework of something I have already prepared and sent out to customers as a free ebook (pdf), but this will be organized by FAQs. It needs a new introduction, new cover, and I'd like to replace the tips in blue with shorter paragraphs, in my own words. I still need to get permission from various people for photos, in particular, from Margarita! Any feedback gratefully received. Thanks! (Eek, how do I upload it?!)

Homework #2 What will the final product look like? This is not too tricky, as I plan to use what I already made as a free ebook (pdf, to be honest!) and add some. It will contain some photos, most of which are large. There will be links to websites. One issue is that I would prefer not to name the sections as "chapters" or "units". I'd like them to be organized by "FAQs". Example: FAQ7: What speed should students be able to read at? 2. How much have I already written. All of it but it needs some reorganization. 3. How much of the thinking have I done? I have specific mental outlines for all of it. 4. How much is left to do? Change the section numbers to FAQs and add a few more FAQs, mostly on how to set up and run a library. 5. When do I plan to write? This will have to be squashed between my other work, but I hope to be able to spend the last week of the course doing the bulk. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bNEOR6-ug1tppeSWBF_Ex8aFcUXX2hX-lNS09rR...

Hi everyone, Here's my WIP - "50 Ways to Reflectively Reenergize Your Teaching" It's a rework of some of what I wrote (and cut) from my longer book. I've got somewhat of an introduction & then a number of activities which will be similar to what I'll include in the book.

Will we be learning the best way to cite other work? I have seen books with Notes at the end for each chapter. Is this the best way?

Hello everyone, This is the link to my draft. All your comments are welcome. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LO2sZx8x_axC5yakNTyG01fFVWHy2HMKAqxcDtCLGdg/edit?usp=sharing Looking forward to all your input!

Sorry - after I went back to Google docs I realized I hadn't enabled comments! Here's the updated link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a0gLsx3hWSkTyWcwjQxP2srRXJEQb23qrGB_KEJL6m0/edit?usp=sharing

Hi peeps! How are things going? Remember to both post your work and comment on others' work in the "Work in Progress" section. We'll be talking about formatting tomorrow, so you'll want to already have some text to work with. If you need help brainstorming or finding a section to work on, just ask here--we'll all help you!

Hi there. I've typed up the four stories Christine wrote as a single document (no illustrations) as a working document. Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a0gLsx3hWSkTyWcwjQxP2srRXJEQb23qrGB_KEJL6m0/edit?usp=sharing

Here's my content and unit 1 of Oil& Gas Vocabulary 1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxe91QH4L6aLeTZOSW5faHJQdlE/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxe91QH4L6aLeTZOSW5faHJQdlE/view?usp=sharing

Here's the tentative cover for the Tiger Biker & Friends. Please let me know what you think. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzMkhVX1l2clVINTQ/view?usp=sharing

Dear All :) Good evening, good morning, good afternoon :) My publication on important days will consist of 12 lesson plans. Here is my brief rationale, list of days I am considering to include and ... October: Homelessness Day. Looking forward towards receiving your comments.

Introudcing the work and creating a kind of attention grabber is a very important step in writing I guess. So, here is a little piece I Wrote sometime ago. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByjDsaE1H6epbWdMYjVZYjlhS2c/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByjDsaE1H6epbWdMYjVZYjlhS2c/view?usp=sharing

Here are the first few pages with my new topic (I changed it a few days ago) to better reflect my interest in teacher well-being. I learned today that well-being is spelled with a hyphen in Canadian English. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwo_ITamV68qbWdacEUzT0w5bUk/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwo_ITamV68qbWdacEUzT0w5bUk/view?usp=sharing

Here's the Elephant Dancer with her updated pictures! I've turned on comment function so you should be able to do that! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzV3BnMXpnV1U5RkU/view?usp=sharing

Table of Contents [If you prefer to comment here, as opposed to the google doc] “Course Guidebook for The History of Western Art Music: 450-1900” I visualize each of the subsections (e.g., 1.1) as two facing pages. This is the content aspect of the course ; the language part I’m still working on. It’s the ‘C’ of CLIL. ☺ Subsequent posting will give you all an idea of the language work. The students are not expected to have any prior knowledge of music. The students’ level of English might / could / will vary — possibly resulting in a split level class with false beginners on one end and fluent speakers / communicators on the other. ========= PRETTY COVER Welcome to the Course How to Use This Book Semester Schedule, Part 1 (up to midterm) Semester Schedule, Part 2 (midterm to final) Week 1 — Course Overview 1.1 Introduction 1.2 What is ‘music’? 1.3 What is Western Art Music? Week 2 — Active Listening (1) 2.1 Rhythm 2.2 Melody 2.3 Harmony Week 3 — Active Listening (2) 3.1 Dynamics and C...

Here's a link to my editable Table of Contents. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_jEV5ubpnLJKuPjGEvM9JLZA2YD6_8HlOqltw39ryDQ/edit?usp=sharing

Text formatting. What sort of text formatting can one do? I remember Dorothy mentioned that we can't choose our fonts. I know we can bold, and I believe we can hotlink. What else can we do (or can't we do)?

Page Layout I'm finding that I'm visualising my 'book' (the main part, at least) as facing pages, i.e., a traditional, print book layout such as in the attached picture. Is this something my ancient brain should discard? Given that e-readers can be set to users' preferences, how does one visualise how their book 'should' look?

If you aren't familiar with using the comment function in Google Docs (where you'll be sharing and commenting on your work) here's a "how to" guide. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzJIXnjooC8keVVGS01SZThsLUE/view?usp=sharing

(WARNING! Long post! Barbara is also sending it by email) It’s time, people! Time to start posting your WIPs—your works-in-progress. And, as people post theirs, to read and comment on them. If you are not finished, that’s fine—remember that it takes time to read and think about a text, so actually, if you post your work bit by bit, it can be easier for people to react to. You just need to make sure that you post a coherent chunk, such as one complete activity or one complete unit. If you are not posting your entire work all at once, just put a note at the bottom to let people know what it is; something like “This is three complete units. I plan to have two more approximately like this.” As you write more, you can post again (as a new document, so people who have read your first one know that there is something more). Before you post your work, please do your own review, editing, and proofreading. The more polished you make your work, the better feedback you will get. Do not neglect a s...

Hi guys, Below there are four choices for potential titles. I have used abbreviations because there was no enough space in the choices. -Gramm for grammar -motivatio for motivation -lang for language -Ss for students -Struct for structures -Instruct for instruction

Assignment #2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? I think of starting with a text to explain the idea, then move to tables and pictures to clarify the evaluation rubrics. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? Nearly, all of it is done; I just need some revision to make it practical and easy to use. •When do I plan to write? I am planning to start writing what is left after this summer. I need to share it with some teachers and educators to give me feedback about areas and indicators that I need to revise. I also need to find a way to attach the software that I designed as the the written form (the hard copy) cannot give them real scores and their total in every quality, sub-quality and quality indicators.

Assignment #1 Should it be done? •Who would read/use my material? My material is designed for teachers who want to evaluate themselves and rethink about their in process quality. •Why? What would they gain from it? This material can help them understand the concept of teacher quality and make difference between teacher quality, teaching prerequisites and teacher effectiveness. Further, they will be aware of the different quality indicators that they can carry during their practice as well as know their areas of strength and weaknesses •What are they currently using or reading instead? Currently, in our case there is no classroom evaluation or observation. In addition, the criteria which is used have no relation with practice and competence. •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? There is a big gap in teacher evaluation in Algeria, So, we need to rethink about teacher quality and don’t take it for granted. Teachers come from a master program or PHD directly to teach without any ...

Just a question for Dorothy E. Zemach - do we go ahead and work on our ideas this coming week? I seem to recall that you said don't do that until you give the green light.

Wk 1 Homework #2 Idea 1: For English Learners: • What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? - The final product will include: - Text, images, audio, videos - The format will be an ebook (epub) - Interactive flashcards and exercises - The book has 10 units, each unit will be about 5 pages • How much have I already written? How much is left to do? - I have finished writing it but in word format. • How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? - It is ready in text format • When do I plan to write? - It’s already done Idea 2: For English Teachers: • What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? The final product will include: - Text, images, audio, videos - The format will be an ebook (epub) - The book has 20 pages • How much have I already written? How much is left to do? - Done in text...

Homework #1 I have two ideas: Idea 1: For English Learners: My project is a vocabulary ebook. It is based on vocabulary for Oil and Gas industry which supported with ready online flash cards tools and student response systems that work on all devices. • Who would read/use my material? - Adults / Young adults learners at CEFR A2 level at my school or anyone who is interested in technical English or Oil and Gas English. • Why? What would they gain from it? - Learn and improve their vocabulary related to Oil and Gas industry. • What are they currently using or reading instead? - They have some in house printed textbooks and worksheets which are not interesting, interactive or organized properly according to learners’ levels. • Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? - I have created my lessons for my learners over the past three years and it worked well. Most of learners have difficu...

ASSIGNMENT #2: Can it be done? WHAT IT WILL (hopefully) LOOK LIKE: Nice. What it looks like is very very important to me, from the cover design to the font to the illustrations. Tomorrow I will ask one of my very talented adult students if she's willing to design a cover and do some simple illustrations to accompany the text; if she's too busy, I have two other friends in mind. It will be a small, rather than large, book, divided into short sections rather than long chapters. It will be short rather than long--maybe 20 pages at most? It will not be in Times New Roman, but it won't be something odd like Comic Sans, either. HOW MUCH HAVE I WRITTEN? Nothing yet, haha. But the sections are there in my head like sock drawer dividers, and the organization shouldn't be hard. I will probably agonise over what words to use. So I have a mental framework and plenty of content, but no words or illustrations yet. WHEN DO I PLAN TO WRITE: Mmmmmm......it's probably good that this...

Assignment #2 Can it be done? Yes – I developed a similar manual for the chapters our teachers are using this semester in a few weeks. •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? It will be mainly text. Images would just be to add interest. It could possibly include some graphic organizers to help students as they learn to take notes from academic texts. The two chapters I am targeting have a combined 14 sections. Each section would have discussion questions and at least one supplemental activity, so my estimate is 30-40 pages. If time becomes a factor I can just do one chapter during the class. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? Nothing/everything •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? I know the kinds of activities that should be included, but need to develop them around this specific content. The framework is there, but that is all. •When do I plan to write? That is the question. W...

Homework 2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? It’s going to be a text with images, links to the pdfs. This e-book isn’t supposed to be a big project. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? I am going to start writing if the idea is feasible. •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? I have some ideas and notes, so I should put pen to paper. •When do I plan to write? This week I have some free time, I just need to start!

Homework 1 I am going to start writing an e-book for my students who are preparing for their final school exam. In Russia schoolchildren have exams when they finish the 9th grade (and should show they achieved level A2) and when they graduate their school (level B2). I will write for the first group of students (A2 level). I am not sure about the name of the book, it can be something neutral such as “….(№) tips for exam preparation” or “…(№) activities to prepare for your exam!” or something more eye-catching (have to think about it) Should it be done? I think yes, because it can help students to be more autonomous learners. •Who would read/use my material? I have got two sons (they are twins) who are going to finish the 9th grade next year, so my sons, their friends, my students, students of my school, students preparing for this kind of exam can read my e-book. Also it will be suitable for teachers who want to find some more activities for their students. •Why? What would they gain f...

+Dorothy Zemach: Here's the link to the color pictures for The Tiger Biker. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2xuscMUyprzZlN0WXdzSlZ2RFU https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2xuscMUyprzZlN0WXdzSlZ2RFU

Assignment #2 -- Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? All text. I’m not sure about images. If I can find something that relates to or conveys the concepts in each section that would be good. An abstract image or illustration that runs throughout the book would be cool. It would be similar to a 50 Ways book from Wayzgoose. I’m not sure about the size either. It depends on how much I write. 50+ ideas at about 250 words each is 12,500. Plus an introduction and a bit of a conclusion or “Next steps” makes the total at 15,000. It might go longer than that, but I don’t want it to be more than 20,000 words. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? Maybe about 30-50% of it is already written. These are pieces that are cut from my bigger book project as well as blog posts. I also have a lot of ideas from presentations I’ve given. But I would have to do the write up for each of these ideas. •How much of the thinking/planning ...

Assignment #1 -- Should it be done? •Who would read/use my material? My project is “50 Ways to Reflectively Reenergize your Teaching”. It’s for teachers who need a boost or some energy in their teaching practice. Teachers who want simple ideas and don’t want to read an entire book on reflection or mindfulness or some other similar topic. Teachers who don’t have a huge book budget but would like something that’s useful and inspiring. •Why? What would they gain from it? They would get ideas to energize and give their teaching a boost. Teaching is a profession which can be draining. There’s always more that a teacher can do for their students and to improve their classes. This book would help teachers take care of themselves and reenergize their teaching by reconnecting to their “why” of teaching. It’s based on reflective attitudes that were identified by John Dewey and Carol Rodgers. •What are they currently using or reading instead? This is a hard question. I’m not sure. Maybe ideas fro...

Hi everybody, I think the hardest part in all this is picking the perfect title. It is the first thing readers lay their eyes on. It should be an initial hook.That does not mean content is less important. So, we either hit the readers between the eyes or make them drop like flies.

Assignment #1 My idea: In the program I run we use chapters from a variety of university text books to help prepare students to study abroad. We develop materials to support students in their reading and design other assignments similar to what they will encounter when they study abroad. I would like to develop and organize our support materials into an instructor’s manual for two chapters of a business text book. Should it be done? Yes. We will be using the two chapters I am targeting for the first time in September, so there is currently no support material developed for them. •Who would read/use my material? The students/teachers in my program. •Why? What would they gain from it? Support in lesson planning and the ability to easily fulfill the course goals. •What are they currently using or reading instead? Nothing •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? I have developed similar materials in the past and know the program and the student’s needs and can tailor the material...

ASSIGNMENT #1: Should it be done? MY PROPOSED PLAN: a short book (not ebook) titled "The Magic of Karuta Tori". It's a play on the popular "Magic of Housecleaning" book, though not everyone will pick up on that. It's okay. In the book, I plan to detail the different ways that I use this traditional Japanese card-slapping game to foster not just vocabulary practice, but also phonics skills, speaking practice, real-world istening skills, and cooperative learning. I also use it to assess classes as a whole, to assess individuals within the group, and to assess the words being studied (i.e. played with) as to salience and difficulty level. SHOULD IT BE DONE? Well, it won't change the world, but it may give some teachers a different look at a well-known approach to vocabulary and reading practice, so sure: I think it should be done. WHO WOULD READ THE BOOK AND WHY? I have a specific audience in mind: my lovely Japanese teacher friends here in my home city of ...

-What I’m going to write is addressed mainly to EFL teachers who would like to find new ways of motivating students especially in a grammar session. -The materials that I’m collecting are essentially a group of educational games and strategies to implement them in the class to motivate students and teach important and yet difficult grammar structures like reported speech, passive voice, irregular verbs. Teachers would be able to teach grammar using the concept of play which lowers learners’ “affective filter” - The material that I’m going to share is based on language games and playing and it is practical for EFL language classrooms because I had already utilized with my students and teachers would be able to identify the process and the challenges and plan their lessons accordingly.

Assignment 2 #2 Can it be done? -I had written 13 pages which is about 4554 words. I think I will have to edit a lot of parts and add more activities and images. My ultimate objective is to make teachers get something away with them and try it in the class

Assignment #2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? An e-book version of a “lecture guide” type book. Text, with simple images (photos of composers, stock photos of instruments). For each lecture hour: 2 pages (1 text + pic; 1 activity/note space – this may vary), with 15 weeks x 3 hours per week = 90 pages. Additionally, basic course information, plus homework, glossary, and links… maybe 110 pages. [OMG THAT SOUNDS LONG!!] •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? Nothing. Everything. •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? Not enough (as I just finished my semester and my administration sent me straight into a four-week intensive course). Too much. •When do I plan to write? As soon as possible. I will have more time starting next week.

Assignment #1 Should it be done? **Who would read/use my material? Students in my content-based “History of Western Art Music.” This is a new “liberal arts elective” type course, part of an initiative by my university to offer alternatives to the regular skills / conversation courses. Some of these students are Korean (naturally, as I’m in Korea), but the main targets are the international students whose levels tend to be high enough they can manage a course delivered in English (some of them easily!). **Why? What would they gain from it? Content: This would give them written synopses of lecture material, as well as all their homework, and vital course information in one place (last semester it was on a Weebly website, which worked but was not ideal-at least not for certain things). Language: It would give them reading work, which is, of course, beneficial in and of itself, as well as scaffolding what they are hearing / will hear / heard in the lecture. **What are they currently using ...

Hi everybody! Just checking in to make sure everyone's on task and has a project in mind. If you don't have a project in mind, well, we can help with that too! Just let us know, tell us the sorts of things you're interested in and good at, and we'll help brainstorm with you. After our first live session, I went back and looked at Grammar for Indies, my current work in progress... and I had a sort of breakthrough. I think I need to dive it into either two books, or two sections--one on grammar, one on punctuation. Naturally, I have some grammar written and some punctuation. But not all of either section. :) I still want to write something on using Facebook in English, and my third book-in-my-brain is on health tips for writers. I mean dealing with things like carpal tunnel, stiff shoulders, poor posture, sitting all the time, scheduling breaks and exercise, eye care, maybe some diet stuff. That one isn't even started, but I have a lot of ideas in my head. I have a l...

Week 1 homework #1 #1 Should it be done? My plan is to extend the simplified PDF on Extensive Reading that I co-wrote with participants on the iTDi course in March. I recently sent that out for free. This will still be aimed at primary and secondary, and have a practical approach to ER, but will include a section of setting up libraries, setting up ER programs, etc. •Who would read/use my material? Teachers of primary and secondary (both ELT and other languages), Primary teachers in the USA / UK, etc. It will also be ideal in Ecuador where EFL teachers have suddenly been asked by the Min of Ed to include ER in their English courses, but haven't received any guidance. •Why? What would they gain from it? They will gain knowledge of the value of Extensive Reading (i.e., it is essential for the development of language, including vocabulary, and helps students to learn other language skills besides). They will learn how to motivate students to read, how do do practical things like setti...

Twelve Months of Social Issues Week 1 Homework 2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? My publication is words and images. I have been working on this project for a year now (obviously not very fast 😊 because of work obligations) and one of the things I have done has been trying to gather some images I would like to use. I have asked some people for permission to use their pictures. Some have responded (and agreed), some have not. I also take my own pictures. I might ask my daughter to draw some things (she already prepares my own unique flashcards and other teaching aids). I imagine each international day would be around 1500 words (this is how long my lesson on homelessness is (a short intro, student’s worksheets and teacher’s notes). As I mentioned earlier, I have a problem with keeping it short. My lesson created for the Holocaust Memorial Day is 8687 words long 😊, passages from the book included – but I know it creates copyrig...

Week 1 Homework 1 #1 Should it be done? •Who would read/use my material? My publication could be titled “Twelve Months of Social Issues – Volume I” (yes, I aspire to publish more than one volume 😊) and it is an ELT calendar of international days. The creation of such a calendar, a pack of ready-to-use ideas (mostly B2+ student materials complete with teacher’s guide), is an attempt to turn global education into a more systematic effort. It is a compilation of lessons, one per month, focusing on a different international day (mostly UN and UNESCO), e.g. World Refugee Day or International Day of Persons with Disabilities, each time. In this way, Volume I will consist of twelve complete sessions and can be followed by subsequent volumes, since each month we celebrate more than one international day. The calendar can be used by teachers teaching groups, but also individual students (although some tasks will have to be adapted for just one learner), at B2 and higher level on the CEFR scale...

I've added a repaired copy of this week's recording to the "About Community" section on this page. We've checked it multiple times to make sure there are no problems this time. Apologies for the inconvenience!

WEEK 1 Assignment #2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? Mostly text, some images, .epub, about 15 articles, a couple of pages each, so 30 pages. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? It's all written. •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? I need to decide on the sequencing and organisation. Plus editing and formatting. And a cover... •When do I plan to write? Writing done, but organisation, sequencing and editing starting now!

WEEK 1 Assignment #1 Should it be done? Idea 1: A collection of articles I have written over the years in various places. (this one I will do during the course) Idea 2: A Resource book for teachers on Project Based Learning (this one I will tackle later on as it needs writing) •Who would read/use my material? Other teachers •Why? What would they gain from it? Because they have heard about me .... They would gain an insight into my teaching experience and the possibility of reading all my articles in one place. •What are they currently using or reading instead? Reading blogs and newsletters. •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? Well, it's practical and covers a variety of topics of interest for teachers.

The Lion Singer and Elephant Dancer will have to be editied in terms of drawings - I simply pasted in photos of the rough drawings I'm working on. The thought is that the three books together could form a paperback reader called 'The Tiger Biker and Friends'.

And a third one - The Elephant Dancer. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzaEoyZkdTTF9BWE0/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzaEoyZkdTTF9BWE0/view?usp=sharing

Here's another book - The Lion Singer. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzZTV6ejI4bWZ5Yms/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzZTV6ejI4bWZ5Yms/view?usp=sharing

Hi everyone, I am so pleased to join ITDI again and work with Dorothy for the first time. My name is Ouarda, I am from Algeria, I have been teaching English at University for 12 years where I taught different subjects. My phd is on teacher quality; so I am interested in everything related to the teacher especially teaching strategies, classroom management, learning strategies and technology. I attended many courses within ITDI and I learned a lot, every time I join a course I get acquainted with a new perspective and vision. The ITDI group is the best teacher development group I have ever worked with. I wish we work together to get something out of this course Regards, Ouarda

Week 1 HOMEWORK #1 •Who would read/use my material? My book is A-Z Guide: How to Survive and Thrive as a New ESL Teacher. My audience is new ESL/EFL teachers •Why? What would they gain from it? The guide is a resource that they can carry around in the bag. Lots of tips, techniques and strategies plus advice from experienced teachers around the world •What are they currently using or reading instead? They may have TESL/TESOL course textbooks but a guide is a quick reference. •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? I have already sold copies from my website. I'm a TESL trainer and new teachers tell me that they feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious so having a resource with them hopefully gives them a sense of security. This book needs good editing and a more professional look.

#2 Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? it about about 50 pages now •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? It is written but it can be improved and look more professional. I would love feedback. •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? needs professional editing •When do I plan to write? done!

#1 Should it be done? •Who would read/use my material? A-Z Guide: How to Survive and Thrive as a New ESL - my audience is new ESL/EFL teachers •Why? What would they gain from it? refresher of ideas/strategies & new ideas. An A-Z Guide that is easily accessible, can have a copy in their bag •What are they currently using or reading instead? they may have textbooks from their TESL/TESOL course but those are cumbersome •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? I have sold some copies on my website and have some testimonials.

Here is the link to The Tiger Biker in pdf format. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzU3dvd19lUHBmZHc/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xuscMUyprzU3dvd19lUHBmZHc/view?usp=sharing

How can we share a document or file?

Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? The final product will be text and images (line drawings to allow students to color the pictures and personalize the story in paperback, color in e-pub). In terms of size - the first book has five pages and ten drawings. •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? It's written and illustrated. The drawings were scanned in. Some checks on the size of the files may have to be done. •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? I've planned the cover and layout, but still have to think of the size of page for the paperback. •When do I plan to write? I will be writing a follow-up to the first book, The Tiger Biker, mainly during the early mornings.

Assignment #1 Should it be done? •Who would read/use my material? I see the readers being used in extensive reading for elementary and middle school students here in Korea. •Why? What would they gain from it? They woud gain being able to read authentic material that is, nevertheless, set in their own cultural mileu and thus accessible in terms of context and content, which would aid in understanding the meaning. •What are they currently using or reading instead? Currently, most of the books being used are either from America and graded for USA standards, or are books such as the Harry Potter series which are only accessible for the highest level students. •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? Because since it was written I've used it a couple of times with students who were struggling to read and it has always been met with interest and comments about easy it was to read.

Can it be done? •What will the final product look like—text? images? size? format? length? •How much have I already written? How much is left to do? •How much of the thinking/planning have I already done? How much is left to do? •When do I plan to write? I would like to use a combination of simple text and simple images. It could be letter size pages, although I don't know if it is possible. With regards to length I think 10 simple lessons to begin with could be a good product and enticing enough for them to use. Perhaps if it is too lengthy teachers might not be interested. I have several lessons written, I just need to put them together and organize them coherently. I have been thinking about this for the last year and I believe it is only a matter of putting it together. I plan to write in the afternoons.

Week 1 HOMEWORK #1 •Who would read/use my material? •Why? What would they gain from it? •What are they currently using or reading instead? •Why do I think my material (or idea) is good? I intend to write my material for novice teachers and those who are working at the elementary school level in public schools. I expect that they gain insights on techniques and strategies that could apply to their contexts and be easily followed on a day to day basis with children who are beginners (in the case of easy activities for beginners) and the second audience would be secondary school teachers of intermediate to advanced students who need to keep their students engaged in learning. Currently each teacher decides on a text and they are supposed to follow a national curriculum but in reality they have difficulty adapting the contents to their contexts. So, I would like to find a way to make adaptations to those particular contexts. I believe it is a good idea because I have visited the regions an...

Hi everyone, I'm Olya from St. Petersburg, Russia. I've taught in a range of contexts here in Russia, but currently I teach ESP/BE in EPAM, a multinational IT company, where I also oversee professional development of a team of language trainers across Russian offices. I've also just got trained as a CELTA tutor - really looking forward to the first course! I've co-authored a digital ELT product that got nominated for ELTons this year ( tubequizard.com ), but as for writing, I haven't got anything published apart from a few articles in IATEFL newsletters (and one coming up in ET professional in September), a lesson in Onestopenglish lesson share competition and a couple dozen worksheets on my blog. I've got a few ideas I'd like to develop - the thing I'd really love to produce would be some listening materials targeting listening decoding skills. I've also got a few other ideas, e.g. worksheets for IT specialists or a set of BE materials based around ...