by Linda Mork
Quick Summary
Are you looking for a way to empower your students as creators and help them develop a positive digital footprint? Check out MN Writes MN Reads.
(Note: Links have been updated)
Are you looking for a way to empower your students as creators and help them develop a positive digital footprint? Check out MN Writes MN Reads. This amazing suite of resources is available for free to Minnesota writers of all ages and comprises the following online tools which can be used independently or together as desired:
- CREATE with Pressbooks. Our statewide version of Pressbooks is available through the Minnesota Library Publishing Project (MLPP) and allows writers to write, upload, edit, and publish ebooks in a variety of formats including PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. Writers have a number of font and design options; images and videos can be easily incorporated.
- SHARE with Indie Minnesota. Writers can increase exposure of their book by submitting it to the Indie Author Project (IAP). After a brief screening process, books are added to the statewide Indie Minnesota collection, and some may be eligible for potential inclusion in the nationwide Indie Author Project Select collection. Writers retain rights to their work.
- READ with BiblioBoard Library. This platform provides access to local authors in the Indie Minnesota collection and select authors from across the country in the Indie Author Project Select collection. This easy-to-use reading tool allows for unlimited checkouts and no return periods. No library card or login is needed to access these titles. Just click and read!
At the recent ITEM Fall Conference, Holly Siasoco, teacher at Marcy Open School, shared how she used MN Writes MN Reads to publish her 6th graders' short stories. Holly's students wrote creatively throughout the year, chose a final short story piece, and submitted a publishable product that could be shared with a wider audience. When asked how they felt about their work being published, Holly's students said they felt: excited, confident, nervous, wanted it to be perfect, creative, motivated, made them want to write more, and proud of their classmates! You can find Holly's collection in Indie Minnesota here.
Other educators have used these tools to create and publish school handbooks, course packets, and other teacher created materials. How could you use and spread the word about MN Writes MN Reads in your school?
