• Content formatted into concepts, smaller bites of information
• A concept map for self-directed or educator-directed sequencing of concepts
• Automatically generated eReader formats for distribution (formats for Kindle, iPad, NOOK and other Android devices)
• Improved content layout for PDFs, HTML, and ePub formats
• Ability to import documents directly from Microsoft Word and Google Docs
• Interactive exercises in context with concepts
• Support for attachments, annotations and highlighting
• Improved editing – section based edits for improved performance
• Sleek, clean user interface (UI)
• Exercise Generator and downloadable worksheets
• Account sign-in via Google, Facebook and Twitter
• Document versioning – we now support easier creation of specific editions of a work to be shared or saved for reference.
• Eddie

• In the FlexBook Platform® 2.0, we have deconstructed our old FlexBooks into small lessons on a specific topic. These mini-lessons are what we are now calling concepts. On our old system, the breakdown went from FlexBooks to chapters. We have taken that process a step further and broken chapters into concepts. We believe this greater granularity will make it easier for teachers to find and curate the necessary content they need to organize and deliver their lesson and for students to seek and focus on the specific topics necessary to progress through a subject.

• The concept map illustrates the relationships between concepts. This map is meant to provide a path for learners by guiding them though a sequence of concepts. While CK-12 will provide a default concept map aligned to various state standards, educators and learners will be able to create a customized map for their own needs.

• CK-12′s FlexBook® textbooks are open-source digital textbooks that are:
  • Free
  • Fully customizable
  • The current FlexBook® library primarily contains titles in science , technology, engineering, and mathematics. Users may read, download, and adapt CK-12′s textbooks at no cost.

• The quick start guide below provides an introduction to the new system and describes how to view, search, and customize our content.
• 


• Quick Start Guide from CK-12 Foundation on Vimeo

• Well, this depends on you, the size of the book you are creating, and if this will be an original work, an edited version of our content, or a combination.
• If you plan to use our books as-is, it can take as little as 10 minutes to assemble the material you’ve chosen and download it for printing or sharing via Twitter, Facebook, LMS or email.
• Some folks choose to edit a textbook over the course of a semester, or develop a new text over the course of a year, so they may customize it to their students’ needs.

• Yes! There is no charge to use our websites, our online tools, or our textbooks. Simply register for a free account and begin learning! CK-12 Foundation is supported by the Amar Foundation, and the generosity of Vinod and Neeru Khosla.

• Yes, you can print your textbook or handouts (in whole or in part) on your own printer, at school, or through a print vendor (eg: Kinko’s).
• There are currently several Print on Demand (POD) vendors like Lulu, and Blurb which you can use to print your textbook. These vendors have different pricing structures based on the number of books you purchase, binding options, and whether you choose color or black and white.

• Maybe.  We do permit for reimbursement of nominal printing charges in order to make a hard copy of a text available to a student.  However, selling a CK-12 textbook for profit is a violation of our Creative Commons license (See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/). CK-12 does not reimburse for the cost of printing, however a teacher may seek reimbursement from the student following these steps below:
• You may make a hard copy available to a student and recoup the cost of printing the book, as long as your student knows :
  • they may obtain a free version of the book online (on the CK-12 website),
  • the copying costs are nominal
  • the book is used for educational purposes
  • there is no profit motivation
  • the book will be used in accordance with the other provisions of our license.
• For example, a learning institution or individual may print a small amount of copies (less than 1000 copies), in order to distribute to their students.  We extend this courtesy to our users and our only requirement is this:  Please email support@ck12.org and advise us of the following:
  • Who are you?
  • What learning institution do you represent?
  • How may we contact, if needed?
  • How many copies do you wish to print, of which book?
  • How will he material be used?
  • What price do you intend to charge for these books?

• CK-12′s FlexBook platform® allows you to create free, high-quality, and fully customizable textbooks.
• You can view the book online or print a book, in whole or in part.
• You can read and annotate a FlexBook® textbook on an iPad, Kindle, or other ePub-compatible device.
• You can use our content in whole or in part.
• You can write a book from scratch.
• You can edit our books, build upon them, share them, and print them. They are aligned with US, California, and Common Core textbook standards, and since our textbooks are digital, we can easily update them, unlike a traditional textbook.
• You can add or delete images, videos, graphics, web links and animations (either your own, or from the web) to enrich the student’s experience.
• You can share published titles via Facebook and Twitter.
• You can share all titles via PDF and HTML links (each has different attributes which serve different purposes).
• You can carry your textbook in your pocket–on a flash drive, hard drive, or DVD (no need to lug a big heavy book anymore).

• Yes! Any reader/device that supports annotation will support annotation in your CK-12 FlexBook® textbook.

• Yes! There are several ways to add web-based images, multimedia, and links to other materials, assuming our licenses are compatible (See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/). This means, if the source of the content you wish to add to your textbook allows for you to use their content on our site, or link to their content, then you may do so. If they prohibit it, then you may not.
• You can easily embed images from the web (or your computer) into your CK-12 FlexBook® textbook by using the “insert/edit image” icon in the editor. We currently support jpeg, png, gif, and bmp files.
• You can further enrich your book by embedding multimedia (simulations, videos, java applets and animations) into your textbook by using the “insert/edit media” icon in the editor.
• You may insert links to external sites in your CK-12 textbook by using the “insert/edit links” icon in the editor (To do so, highlight the text which is relevant to the link you want to connect to. Once highlighted, click the “insert/edit link” icon and complete the information in the text box).

• All of our files are available in PDF, HTML, ePub and MOBI format. The files that are available in MOBI and ePub formats enable a user to view our content on their computer, smartphone, or tablet device ( iPad, NOOK, Kindle, Android). A user may save a PDF file to a USB drive or DVD and carry the content with them.

• First sign into your account. If you do not have an account you can create one here: sign up . Also please be aware of the differences of sharing and publishing on our system. Publishing your FlexBook:
  • Go to the “My Content” tab in your library.
  • Click on the title you want to publish, this will take you to the table of contents.
  • On the left hand side click on the “Publish” link

  

  • Next fill out the Publish Request form and click submit.

  

  • You will receive notification once your FlexBook has been published.

  Publishing your Concept:

  • Go to the “My Content” tab in your library.
  • Change the “Filter by Type” setting from FlexBooks to Concepts.
  • Click on the title you want to publish, this will take you to the concept.
  • On the left hand side click on the “Publish” link

  

  • Next fill out the Publish Request form and click submit.
  • You will receive notification once your FlexBook has been published.

• Sharing content in by “invitation only,” and is immediate.There are several ways to share content using CK-12′s FlexBook Platform®. You can email a student a live link, called a URL, to your FlexBook. You can email them a PDF file (the best format for printed versions). You can post a link to your content in Twitter or Facebook. Or you can download a file, and share it with users of Kindle, iPad, and ePub devices.First, sign into your CK-12 account. Click on “My Content” and the title of the FlexBook or Concept you wish to share. Once the resource opens, you can grab the URL at the top of the page, copy it, and paste it into an email to students. You can post it in your LMS, or post it on Twitter or Facebook. Please note: recipients can only view shared content once they are logged into their CK-12 account, unless the content is “Published.To download and share a PDF file, Kindle/Mobi file, iPad/ePub file, then click on “My Content” , open the title you wish to share, select “Download/PDF” (or Download Kindle, or Download iPad) from the left side of the screen. The system will either download the file immediately, or will email you a link to access the file. Open the file and save it to your hard drive. To upload the file to a mobile device, please follow the device manufacturers instructions or see our FAQ section dedicated to this subject. Once saved to your hard drive, one may email the file as an attachment to students. Please note: recipients can only view shared content once they are logged into their CK-12 account, unless the content is “Published”.

• The main differences between sharing and publishing content is access and exclusivity.Shared content is viewable only within one’s CK-12 account, is by “Invitation only”, and is immediate.Published content is viewable to anyone, outside of a CK-12 account, is searchable using key words by anyone, and there is a short delay in publishing (as publishing requests are reviewed by real humans).

• To submit a request:
  1. You must have the role “Teacher” assigned to your account.
  2. You must be viewing a resource that has the “Teacher’s Edition” tag, and should say Teacher’s Edition in the title.
     • example: Algebra 1 Teacher’s Edition

  You should see the link “Request Solutions” as highlighted in the image below:

• >Here are instructions from blogkindle.com:
  

  You can copy documents in supported formate to your Kindle following these easy steps:

  1. Connect your Kindle to your computer via USB cable. After drivers are installed, you can see your Kindle device as a disk drive
  2. Navigate to “documents” folder on your Kindle device
  3. Copy your files in supported format there (PDF/TXT/MOBI/PRC/AZW)
  4. Safely eject the device

  Your documents should now be visible along with your other eBooks in the home screen.

  Read more: here!

• iPad
  1. Download the ePub title and save it on your desktop or someplace on your computer you can easily access.
  2. Launch iTunes and select (Add to Library…) from the File menu.
  3. Select the eBook you downloaded and click the Choose button.
  4. From iTunes select Books from the list of libraries on the left. The book should now be listed in your iTunes library.
  5. Connect your iPad to the computer and select it from the list of devices on the left.
  6. Choose the “Books” tab.
  7.  Check the Sync Books checkbox if it isn’t already enabled. You can sync all books in your library with your iPad, or choose the select books you want to sync to your iPad.
  8. Now click the Apply or Sync button at the bottom right of the window.
     • *You may receive a warning that this will erase all the books on your iPad if this is your first iBooks sync. *
  9. Click the Sync Books button.
  10. Once the sync has completed you can open iBooks on your iPad to read your newly transferred title.

  Here are some great instructions on how to use iTunes to manage your epub books:

  http://www.theipadguru.com/2010/06/18/how-to-import-epub-books-into-the-ipad/

  NOOK

  1. Connect the NOOK to your computer with the included USB cable. NOOK will then show where hard drives and other USB drives show (under My Computer on Windows or on the desktop on Mac). Double-click on the NOOK drive to open it.
  2. In another window, open the folder where you stored the eBook files on your computer (we recommend downloading and storing them on the desktop or in My Documents in a folder called ‘eBooks’). You can then drag and drop the eBook file(s) from your computer to the “my documents” folder or to the root of the NOOK.
  3. After the files are finished transferring to the NOOK and BEFORE unplugging the USB cable, you must eject the device from the computer. Removing the USB cable before doing this can cause harm to your eBooks and/or the NOOK. Simply right-click on the NOOK drive and select the undock, eject, or unmount option.
• Android

To side load custom books on your Android device, you will need an a separate app to read the epub files. Here are a couple:

 Aldiko - http://www.aldiko.com/features.html (pdf, epub)

Instructions for loading your epubs to your Android from Aldiko:                                                       (https://aldiko.zendesk.com/entries/21609793-how-to-read-books-that-i-have-purchased-from-other-bookstores)

Please follow the below instructions:

1. (1) Download books from the bookstore’s website on your computer. Please note that the book must be in EPUB or PDF format;
2. (2) Transfer the ebook files from your computer to the SD card of your device;
3. (3) Launch the Aldiko Book Reader, tap on “Files” at the home screen;
4. (4) Locate the ebook files that you just transferred. Check the box next to the ebook files and then select “Import to Aldiko” (it normally appears at the bottom).

Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-android/379003595 (epub).

Instructions for loading your epubs to your Android from B&N: 
(http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-reading-apps-frequently-asked-questions-faq/379003551)

You can sideload ePub (non DRM) files into our app and read them using the following steps:

1. Connect (Mount) your phone to your PC or Mac to access the folder structure
2. Open the NOOK Folder
3. Open the My Documents Folder
4. Drag any ePub files into the folder
5. Disconnect your phone from PC or Mac
6. Open the NOOK for Android app
7. In the library, filter by “My Files”
8. You should be then able to open and read any of your files. If you cannot see your files, perform a sync
9. At this time, only ePub files are supported. We are evaluating adding support for other types (pdf, pdb, etc).

First sign into your account. If you do not have an account you can create one here: sign up.

Create a book from an existing title the CK-12 repository:

• Find the  FlexBook you like by searching for a title or browsing our subjects.
• In the “Table of Contents” area for the book you have the option to “Make a Copy” or “Add to FlexBook”.
  • Add to FlexBook - Will add all the chapters of this book to an existing book of your choice in “My Content”.
  • Make a Copy - Will create a copy of the book that you can customize.

Create a book from scratch:

• First you will want to navigate over to the “My Content” section of your dashboard, by clicking on the “My Content” tab.
• Next click on the blue “Create New” button on the left hand side to pull down the drop box.
• Chose “FlexBook” from the list of options.

• You will be taken to the book’s “Table of Contents” where you can set the title of the book, change the cover image, and begin to add new content.
• Under the “Add Content” area you will find the following options:
  • From Library -  Here you can search for content to add to your book.
  • Use Our Writer -  Create a concept using our editor.
  • More
    • New Chapter - Create a chapter with (description, Introduction, and Summary).
    • Word File - Upload content from a word file (.docx )
    • Google Doc - Upload content from a Google doc

• Yes. You can create a CK-12 account at www.ck12.org and click “Join CK-12″ or you can access the CK-12 website with Google, Facebook and Twitter logins and the system will create an account for you.

• When you registered on CK-12′s FlexBook® website, we sent an email to the address you gave us. Once your email address is verified, you should then be able to sign in using the user id and password you created.

• If you can’t find the email we sent you, please check your spam or junk folder.

• If you continue to have problems, please send an e-mail to support@ck12.org.

• Sign in to your account and select “Account Settings” from the drop down menu under your name in the top right corner of the screen. From here you can sign up for email alerts, change your password or edit your profile. Once you’re done, click “Save Changes” to to keep any changes you have made.

• Please make sure you have JavaScript enabled in your browser. If you need help doing this, please click here for help.

• If enabling JavaScript doesn’t solve the problem, please send an e-mail to support@ck12.org and we will help you troubleshoot.

• We recommend that you use one of the following browsers with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768. You need to enable JavaScript for any browser. For instructions on how to do this please click here:
  • Firefox 3.x and above
  • Internet Explorer 8.x and above
  • Safari 3.x and above
  • Chrome

• The following browsers have not been tested with our FlexBook® system:
  • Opera

• If you use Opera, or another browser, we would be interested to know about your experience. Please email: support@ck12.org.

• Please email support@ck12.org. Our Customer Care team strives to respond to every question within 24 hours of receipt. If your issue is urgent, please indicate so in your email. If you requested a teacher’s edition, those are sent in batches, 1-2 time a week and we ask for your patience. Our team is here Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm pacific hours, except major US holidays.

• While we hope you will never want to close your CK-12 FlexBook® account, you may do so by following these steps:
  1. Send a request to CK-12 directly at support@ck12.org and ask for your account to be closed. Please provide your username and associated email address, and let us know why you wish to close your account.
  2. Wait to get an email response from CK-12 confirming that your account has been closed. This may take a few days.
  3. Try to sign in to your account once you have gotten an email from CK-12 confirming your account has been closed. If you’re unable to sign in and don’t get a message asking you to reactivate your account, your FlexBook® account has been closed.

• Fill out and submit the form found on the right side of our ck12.org/about pages.

• We are incredibly grateful to the community for helping us make our textbooks the best they can be. Please report errors to support@ck12.organd include the following:
  1. Complete book title or concept title.
  2. Chapter and section where error may be found (please note, sometimes our pagination may be different)
  3. List any landmarks where error may be found (eg: “it is just under the bar chart”)
  4. Text of error in question and suggested remedy

• There are already other open-source higher education programs like Connexions, Sophia, and Merlot, but currently not enough focus on K-12. CK-12 intends to fill that gap.

• Anyone can use this site; there are no limitations on who may access our services and materials.

• CK-12′s FlexBook® textbooks are unique in that we aim to provide a comprehensive K-12 online curriculum that conforms to curriculum standards. We currently develop content for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) textbooks. Our FlexBook® system is the only free web-based application for adapting open-source material and creating customized textbooks.

• CK-12 is generously funded by the Amar Foundation, and by Vinod and Neeru Khosla, who have a profound belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn.

• CK-12′s websites and textbooks are available free of charge. You can view them online with your browser, or use them with a PDF reader. If you choose to print a FlexBook ® textbook, you simply pay the printing costs.

• CK-12 Foundation’s goal is to provide high-quality education materials to all, so that everyone has an opportunity to learn.

• CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit with a mission… produce free & open source K-12 materials aligned to state curriculum standards customized for students and/or teachers’ needs. Using an open-content, web-based collaborative system termed “FlexBook®”, CK-12 intends to pioneer the next generation and distribution of high-quality educational materials to be used both as core textbooks and as the basis for customized materials.