The Value of SelfPublishing Student Work and How to Do It'

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The Value of Self-Publishing Student Work and How
to Do It.

• Jay Rehak
• Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
• http//www.wyoung.org/
• Chicago, IL 60607
• jaycrehak_at_aol.com

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Begin with an Idea

• What do students like to do that is easy for them
  to do?
• Have the students brainstorm ideas or come into
  the project with an idea already in place.
• Remember to control the agenda! (dont let the
  class decide! Let them have input, but keep the
  choices limited to feasible and educational.)

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After Generating Ideas Consider

• Does the idea have educational value?
• Does the idea allow for success on many different
  levels?
• Can the idea be actualized?
• Can the idea be organized?
• What are YOUR strengths and weaknesses as an
  instructor? (e.g. Do you have organizational
  problems like I do? Do you lack
• a strong visual sense?)

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Consider the Legalities

• Have students (parent/guardian) sign a waiver to
  ensure that you wont have people coming back
  later, looking for royalties.
• Find an organization to which you can donate the
  money you make. (For example, I donate my money
  to the Friends of Whitney Young a Parents
  Organization at my school.
• The sum of money you make will probably not be
  significant, but it will have a long tail.
  That is, you may generate some slight amount for
  years. Consider how hard that would be to divvy
  up!

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The Nuts and Bolts of Putting a Book Together

• Designing a template
• Consider size of the book
• Consider number of students participating
• Designing a Cover
• Consider having a contest to provide ample design
  ideas to be presented. (Probably best to do this
  rather than require all to design the cover or
  specifically assigning an artist in the class
  to do it or to design it yourself.)
• List essential facts that must be on the cover
  include this in the discussion of the cover with
  students.

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Pulling in the Media

• Consider asking your local media organizations to
  cover your Book Release.
• Consider Your School Website as a source of
  revenue from the project
• Consider having your students review the process
• http//www.wyoung.org/
• http//www.wyoung.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_
  ID26679id0rn9705270
• http//www.wyoung.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_
  ID26679id0rn9705270
• http//stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID260006

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Value to Participants

• Students in my classes use the experience on
  their college applications (e.g. I co-wrote a
  grammar book with my high school English
  teacher.)
• Students point to it as a source of pride
• Ultimate collaboration of
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Community
• Parents
• Students
• Teachers reputation is enhanced by the
  concretization of a learning tool.
• Parents are impressed
• Administrators are impressed
• Teacher can look back on it as a source of
  personal pride
• Students have a permanent artifact of the class
  year

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Thanks for Listening!If you signed the list,
Ill send this to you. Otherwise, you can contact
meJay C. Rehakjaycrehak_at_aol.com