everything else

I am thankful for sustaining donors like Alisa

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon It’s Thanksgiving week, and I have a lot of people to thank.

Of course, there are my friends and family, who have supported me during this slightly-crazy year. But then there are also the people I don’t know who care about my students and their reading lives. Some of these strangers become friends.

Dr. Alisa Cooper is one of them.

A few years ago, I contacted Alisa (Phoenix, AZ) for help with podcasting. It was clear early on that Alisa was knowledgeable in all things tech and all things English. I was impressed with the way she taught her introductory college courses in Arizona. So we kept in touch.

Then one day earlier this year, I received a Kindle from Alisa. And not long after, her friends donated several more. People say that it’s “the power of the Internet,” but for the Internet to have any power, there have to be kind and generous people like Alisa who get out the word.

Alisa wasn’t finished. In May, she posted this video on YouTube.

Really generous and kind, don’t you think? I think so.

Alisa is a great example of a sustaining donor to the Kindle Classroom Project, whose dedication and generosity extend past a one-time donation. Some sustaining donors contribute multiple times, while others get the word out (by word-of-mouth and word-of-tech) and encourage their friends to donate.

I am very thankful for Alisa and the following sustaining donors:

Lesley (Menlo Park, CA), Iris (San Diego, CA), LeAnne (Fremont, CA), Wil (New York, NY), Brian (San Diego, CA), Donna (Las Vegas, NV), Laura (San Francisco, CA), DSW (anonymous), Angela (Concord, CA), Nicole (Quincy, MA), Michele (San Francisco, CA), Jessica (San Francisco, CA), Denise (Alpharetta, GA), Imene (San Francisco, CA), Sarah (Logan, UT), Mary (Parkersburg, IA), Jenni (Berkeley, CA), Stuart (New York, NY), Anonymous (international), Saugut (Jersey City, NJ), Dave (Oakland, CA), Cindy (San Francisco, CA), Lynna (Mtn. View, CA), Lisa (San Francisco, CA).

It’s 100% possible that I’ve missed a few names, so once you tell me or I find out, I’ll update the list! Until then, please accept my deepest thanks. You are the folks who make this project go! favicon

reading

This is true, but not motivating, for students

Posted on by Mark Isero

Reading Improves Test Scoresfavicon I’ve seen different versions of this poster many, many times over the past few years.

The numbers seem about right: that if you read about 1/2 an hour a day, you’ll be fine.

But I wish the title of this poster were different. Something like, “Reading a lot makes you a better reader,” would be much better than what’s there now.

The current title asks students to spend their time reading not for joy or knowledge but rather just to raise their test scores.

Yeah, the title needs to go. But I like many things about this poster, including: (1) Double the time doesn’t mean double the words, (2) Double the time doesn’t mean double the test gains. In other words, teachers and students have to find their sweet spot.

Mine was always 3 hours of reading a week, in-class and out-of-class combined. So I fought for 30 minutes a night, five days a week. Students who could make that time commitment often saw huge gains.

Despite my mixed feelings about test scores being the goal of all this additional reading, I’m hopeful that the students at the Hayward school — who read 30 minutes a night and who will read at least 17 books this year — do well on next week’s interim assessment.

It would send a strong message to the ninth graders. Something like this, I hope: If you read a lot, yes, you’ll do better on the reading test. But at the same time, you’ll be proud of all the books you’ve read — more books than you’ve ever read before — and you’ll be happy that the books have brought you joy and wonder. favicon

Time to get serious: 100 Kindles by the New Year!

Posted on by Mark Isero

kindle-ribbonfavicon A few months back, I got the crazy idea that maybe we could hit the 100-Kindle mark by 2014. Wouldn’t that be a nice big round number to reach? Though I could be wrong, this wishful thinking likely came in June (a 12-Kindle month) or September (a 10-Kindle month).

Now it’s late-November, and the Kindle donations continue to come in, albeit more slowly. Just last week, I was close to abandoning the 100-Kindle dream, content with the current state of the Kindle Classroom Project, where lots of Kindles are in lots of students’ hands, and lots of students are reading lots of books as a result.

But Mary’s donation today of the 87th Kindle (thanks, Mary!), along with promises that Kindles #88 and #89 will arrive next week, has emboldened me anew. Are we really just 11 Kindles away from the magic number? If so, this is possible, right? Maybe?

With your help, I think it’s possible to reach the 100-Kindle goal.

Here are some ways that you can help:

1. Be on the look-out for Kindle owners who want to upgrade.
Does one of your friends read on a Kindle 2? Wouldn’t that friend want to upgrade to the Paperwhite? Encourage your friend to do so and then donate her old one to the Project.

2. Tell your family, if they celebrate Christmas, to make a contribution to a good cause.
Then, tell your family that this year’s good cause is reading, and direct them to my students’ Amazon Wishlist, where it’s super fast and easy to purchase a new Kindle. Sure, $69 is a lot of money, but if a few family members go in on it, it’s not so costly.

3. Scour Craiglist ads for Kindles and persuade would-be sellers to donate.
This one takes more patience and skill. But it’s a bit addictive once you get the hang of it! I’ve been successful in convincing a few folks on Craigslist (probably 4-5 so far) to forego the $40 they could gain by selling their Kindle and to donate it instead. Suggestion: If you’re successful, don’t go picking up the Kindle on your own. Have the person ship it, or tell me, and I’ll pick it up. 🙂

4. Get the word out about the Kindle Classroom Project.
The more people know about it, the better. Facebook is good. So is Twitter. Best, though, is if you have a personal blog and write a post about the Project. My friend and generous sustaining donor Iris (San Diego, CA) wrote this post in April, and 8-10 Kindles have come from folks who originally read her post before finding my Donate Kindle page. It’s pretty amazing. So yes, if you would be willing to write a quick post (with “donate kindle” in the headline, for best results!), I would be extremely appreciative.

Also, if you have other ideas, please let me know. With your help, I really do think that it’s possible to reach 100 Kindles by the New Year. Let’s do it! favicon

For Thanksgiving: Cute Kindle moments

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon How do I know whether the Kindle Classroom Project is going well this year? Well, in the next few weeks, the students will take their mid-year reading assessment, which will give me some idea. I’ll compare the reading gains of students with Kindles vs. those without Kindles. In addition, I’ll compare the number of books that each group has read so far. We’ll see what happens.

Even if the test scores and book totals aren’t perfect, I’ll still know that the Project has been an overwhelming success. Why? It’s easy: I can see it. The ninth graders love reading on their Kindles. As a result, they’re participating in what I call Cute Kindle Moments. Here are a few:

– To prove to students that I meant business, and that they could request titles and I would buy them, I set up a Kindle Book Request Form. My only rule was that you had to complete a book before you requested a new one. Well, Alberto and Jazmin have taken me at my word. Alberto has requested eight books, and Jazmin has requested five. They have good taste, too: Allegiant, Son of Neptune, and Fallen are among the titles they chose.

2013-11-21 20.17.43– I was adding new batteries to Kindle 2s (thank you, donors!), and I noticed that several students have grouped books into collections. The students are making their Kindles their own! And their collections are great. Take a look at the one on the right. This student has created a “Must-Read” collection, and it has 13 books in it! (I would have no problem if he reads all 13 before June!)

– Ninth graders at the school in Hayward completed an Exhibition last Thursday, in which they dressed up and made a presentation on a character in one of the books they’ve read. After the presentation came a question-and-answer session, and one of the most popular questions was, “What books have you read this year, and which one has been your favorite?” The students routinely named 4-8 books, which left their parents and other adults a bit awestruck. (Each student is on track to complete at least 17 books this year.)

– I was reading with the Kindlers at the school in Oakland, and Chase approached me and asked whether I would buy Son of Neptune for him. Within 30 seconds, the book was on his Kindle. I told him, “Good choice! Alberto is reading the same book in Hayward!” Chase smiled, said thank you, and went back to his desk, already reading his new book.

– I was walking down the hallway in between classes in San Francisco, and one student said to her friend, “That’s the Kindle guy.” And then, after a few seconds: “Why didn’t you get a Kindle? You should ask him for one!” Her friend has a Kindle now, too!

* * *

Hope you enjoyed those Cute Kindle Moments. I’m sure there will be many more in the upcoming months. It’s pretty clear to me that this is the first big year of the Kindle Classroom Project. The Kindles are out there, and students are reading more than ever before, and the teachers are invested and running a solid program.

Here are a few more things that seem different this year: (1) Additional reading has resulted calmer and more focused learning environments. The teacher in Oakland — she’s excellent — reports that her students are even farther along this year than last, that they take their work even more seriously, and that they’re able to work independently for longer and have greater stamina. (2) Boys are leading the reading charge. I’ve never seen boys more eager to read. They appreciate the books on the Kindles and seem genuinely surprised that there are so many good titles. (3) When there’s reading in their non-English classes, students don’t moan and groan (as much) as they did last year. When reading is celebrated, reading is fun.

This week, students will take a break and have some time off for Thanksgiving. I am thankful that I get to share my passion for reading with them, and it’s heartwarming that the students are reading so much and grateful for the Kindles. I am also thankful for all the generous donors who have made the Kindle Classroom Project a big success. favicon