Just thought I’d jot some thoughts down about the KCP:
– I’m thinking lately about how to recruit teachers to join the program. The new teacher application is solid. But no teachers yet have completed it. The application may be putting up a barrier; maybe teachers are nervous to to apply. Still, I like that I’m getting clearer about what the program is and what teachers can expect if they participate.
– I’m continuing to wonder about what to do about Kindles breaking. It happens from time to time. Kindles are fragile. A teacher and I are doing some inquiry about what can be done. Worldreader, which has done excellent work with Kindles to eradicate illiteracy in Africa, has some good ideas about decreasing breakage. One idea is to involve students in the process.
– Students continue to complete books and request new books. It happens every day. Students are more likely to fill out the request form than they are the completed books form. Both are at KCP Info, a one-stop quick site for students, teachers, and donors. (Check it out on your phone!) I want to encourage students to keep reading, to reduce the gap between the end of one book and the beginning of another, but I also need data of completed books.
– Speaking of data, I’m still working with teachers and students to collect all the successes of the program. I’m most interested in how many books students are finishing. In addition, I’d like to know if students are improving their reading scores and if they have more confidence and stronger identities as readers. All of this is a work in progress.
Donors, teachers, and students: Thank you for building this KCP community. Reading is believing.
Excellent questions- and indicative of how the program is growing. I have never used a kindle, but is there some kind of protectove folder so they won’t break as easily? How can teachers better support getting the number of completed books? Great work!
Thanks, Heidi! I am looking into more robust cases, though they’re really expensive. Perhaps I can write an ask letter to M-Edge to see if the company can offer some free cases. They’re really strong.
On the topic of recording completed books, perhaps the way to think about it is: Why would teachers and students want this information, too, in addition to me? (I am surprised that most schools do not track their students’ independent reading.)