Our classroom collaborative publishing program is a step by step, standards-aligned, curriculum-driven approach of students learning through the book publishing experience. It involves students taking on different roles, communicating ideas, and meeting deadlines while diligently working as a team towards their very own book release celebration party. This engaging process involves the students by giving voice to their interests, their abilities and incorporates them into all of the decision-making processes. And it provides a metaphor for workplace skills and responsibilities.
As part of our program we offer schools professional development, teacher training, pre-press services, and online web applications that empower students to take their ideas from concept and content development, all the way through the celebration and sharing of their writing and art in the form of a professionally-published bookstore-quality book.
Our entire process is focused on raising educational standards. While we emulate an adult publishing company, our true mission is to assist students in improving their reading, writing, and technology proficiencies as well as self-confidence. Our process teaches project management, productivity, and other skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century workplace and in a global economy.
Of course the employment of 21st century technology has always been in the forefront of KidsWrite's objectives. It plays an active role in the book production process through the KidsCafe, our proprietary learning and publishing portal, which bridges traditional classroom activities and the social web. The KidsCafe is a place where teachers and students actively engage in the communication, preparation, submission, and proofing of their books.
The best chapter in the KidsWrite story is the joy on the faces of the students as they celebrate their work as published authors of a book worthy of any bookstore shelf. The magic of collaborative student publishing is quite apparent when seeing the publishing team members celebrating their roles in the creation of a professionally published book. The sense of accomplishment and self-confidence is part of the finished product they proudly share. They have become part of a community of authors, artists and editors. Their friends, family, or whoever visiting the KidsWrite bookstore can see their accomplishment.