Thursday, February 2, 2007
The Campbell Reporter
Being a published author is no longer reserved for a select few. With Campbell Union School District's new online publishing program, anyone can create professional-quality books.
The elementary and middle school district launched the new program this year through edPal, which runs the district's online education center. The new program, called edPrint, routes 10 percent of book sales back to the district. The service is open to teachers, parents and all community members. Users of the service can also create calendars and posters.
District board member Leah Reed, communications specialist Marla Olszewski and Forest Hill Elementary School teacher Nancy Hagmann used the program to create one-of-a-kind gifts for family members. At Village School, a kindergarten teacher compiled drawings by each student about their first day of school.
"When I gave those books to parents, they were crying," Village School Principal Katie Middlebrook says. "It's a really neat thing."
Village School and Capri Elementary School are the two schools premiering the program. Middlebrook has big plans for edPrint. She plans to use it as a means to celebrate student work, raise funds for the school and build the library.
Student artwork will be printed on edPrint posters to line the school's hallways. Fourth- and fifth-graders studying poetry will receive a poetry book of their original work, and the upper grades will learn to use the technology, which includes digital cameras and scanners, to make books.
For Hagmann, edPrint will allow her to revisit and publish children's book manuscripts written over the years.
"I always have trouble finding books that met my needs," Hagmann said. "So I wrote my own."
Hagmann wrote her first book--a rhyming tale about apples--specifically for her special education students. The book was such a hit that other teachers began copying it and reading it in their own classrooms.
Today, she's unearthing old manuscripts and has recruited another teacher to do the illustrations. The result, she says, will be professional books for her classroom, and that others can buy for their own use.
Ten percent of sales from EdPrint will go to the Campbell Union School District's library funds. As the program grows, community members can route their donations to specific schools and school-related organizations.
A person needs only an internet connection and access to Microsoft Word to create a published manuscript, and prices are based per page. EdPrint provides numerous templates for books ranging from 10 to 280 pages. In addition to books, black and white handbooks, posters and calendars are also available.
For more information, or to register for a free EdPrint account, visit edprint. edprint.edPal.com/cusd.