Kindle Classroom Project update, 1/22/13

agirllikemefavicon Christmas and the holidays have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that the momentum over at The Kindle Classroom Project is stopping anytime soon!

Here are some big updates:

1. The KCP receives its first-ever media mention.
Go on over right now to Dr. Alisa Cooper’s blog FreshmanComp.com and see for yourself! I met Alisa (Twitter, Google+), an English professor and technologist in Arizona, a few years back after looking for ideas to make my classroom blog better. She’s always been helpful and patient with my questions. Now she is donating her Kindle and writing about it!

Even better: Her post has already generated 15 (update: 26) Facebook likes (more than mine ever seem to do!), and there are rumors that a few people people in her network may donate their Kindles, too. It’s pretty amazing what happens when kind people get the word out.

Interesting fact: Alisa’s Kindle will be the second #26acts donation that the KCP has received.

2. Two more Kindles this week, and there are more coming.
Iris from San Diego teamed up with Donovan and Bethel, also from San Diego, to donate not one but two Kindles to the Project! That makes the total 25! Iris has been a long-time and very generous donor and an all-around wonderful friend. Thank you!

3. The Kindle library grows by three titles — now up to 183.
LeAnne from Fremont came through again this week with her second book donation from the Amazon Wishlist. This time, it’s A Girl Like Me, a very popular book among African American girls. I’m appreciative of LeAnne’s contributions because Kindles are only as good as the books that are on them. This year, I’m hopeful to make a bigger push to encourage more people to donate books to the cause so that students always have something they like to read.

4. The Kindle Classroom Project converts on Craigslist.
For the past few months, whenever someone on Craigslist has placed an ad to sell their Kindle, I have sent them an email back that reads something like this:

Hi there,

I see that you want to sell your Kindle. Would you like to donate it to my students instead?

After about 30 of these emails, and no takers, I was about to give up — until yesterday, when a kind woman from Oakland emailed me back and agreed. We’re going to be meeting in the next few days for the exchange. I think this is pretty neat.

As always: Thank you, loyal Iserotope readers and KCP promoters, for your enthusiasm and zest (one of my favorites). Let’s keep things going! favicon

What do you think?