This has been the biggest week in the history of The Kindle Classroom Project. Here are some updates:
1. The Project received a $1,000 donation, its biggest ever.
I’m still in awe after several days. The $1,000 Amazon gift card contribution from DSW in Saratoga changes everything. It’s a new era. This donation means that students can request books they want to read and feel confident that I’ll follow through. This donation means that I can build and diversify the Kindle ebook library. This donation encourages others to contribute, too. And this donation makes me think bigger about the project. Maybe it’ll be possible to work with more than one teacher — or an entire grade level — or with several schools. We’ll see what happens!
2. The New Kindle Classroom Project page makes it easier to donate Kindles.
Out of all the Kindles I’ve received over the years, six have come from total strangers finding Iserotope on the Internet. That’s pretty impressive, but I want to increase that number. After all, as tablets have become more popular, there are many Kindles lying around people’s homes, ready for reassignment. Before this week, interested Kindle donors had to find Iserotope, read a post, then click on my About page or Contribute page, and write an email to me. No longer. The new page includes a form that will make the process easier. In addition, the static page will show up more often on Google results for people searching for “donate Kindle.” Tell your friends!
3. The Kindle ebook library has reached the 150 mark.
Receiving Kindles from generous donors is great. But I’m finding that it’s also important to make sure that students have good books to read. I’m happy to announce that each Kindle now contains a library of 150 high-interest titles. These books come from student requests, from my own recommendations, and from other in-the-know teachers and librarians.
Here are this week’s new titles:
Kindler Jasmin requested Leaving Paradise after liking Simone Elkeles’s Chain Reaction. Kindler Steven requested The Sea of Monsters after completing Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. It’s great when students find authors they like.
4. The DonorsChoose project for 10 more Kindles is moving swiftly.
My dream to reach a full class set of Kindles is going to come true, thanks to the help of friends in Nevada, their colleagues at Zappos, and the generosity of anonymous donors and friends in California. The $960 project for 10 Kindles is now down under $400, so I’m hopeful to get it funded before the new year. Feel free to tell your friends!
5. There’s another way to contribute: Buy a book from my Amazon wishlist.
I’m learning that some people — especially former students who have graduated and are now in college! — want to contribute but don’t like the idea of giving money and would rather purchase a book instead. That way, you know exactly where your money is going. That’s why I’ve created an Amazon wishlist of books that students have requested. Feel free to browse and click on a book you’d like to donate, and I’ll receive an email from you to transfer the title to the student Kindles.
There you have it, this week’s Kindle Classroom Project update. I’ll keep you posted about what happens this week. Will the DonorsChoose project be completed? Will more Kindles from strangers arrive? You never know!