Karen Windon, consultant with The Patterson Foundation, joins host Leah Verier-Dunn on Connecting Communities to talk about THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School. Developed out of necessity during the pandemic, this initiative sprouted with overwhelming success. Karen shares about the evolution of this initiative and how it’s grown into a prominent program for teachers in the Suncoast region, reaching tens of thousands of students over the years and serving as a great home-school connector.
Timestamps
- 00:28 – Introduction to Karen Windon
- 01:15 – Karen explains what THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School is and how it came to be
- 02:38 – Karen notes the reading gap THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School continues to fill
- 04:05 – How is this program worth teachers’ time?
- 06:07 – How does this program help kids learn outside of the classroom with their families at home?
- 09:33 – Karen discusses the data of how many teachers and classrooms are involved in this year’s THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School program
- 11:42 – What is required of teachers to join the program?
- 13:01 – Karen explains how THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School aligns with the overall Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading initiative
- 16:12 – Karen shares her final statements, noting the rewarding feedback she’s received regarding THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School
Links to Learn More
THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School
THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School Teacher Resources
THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School Registration
Blog: THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School: Low Stakes. Big Reward.
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