Slides from a 3 hour presentation at NCFL National Convention in San Diego, March 23, 2012

1. It Just Keeps Getting Better
ReadCreateShare
is the Complete Package
Mark W.F. Condon
Unite for Literacy
National Center for Family Literacy
San Diego, CA – March 24, 2012

2. The Challenge is in the Numbers
1,000,000,000
Illiterate Adults
(2/3 are women who raise the children)
Speaking 7,000 Languages
0 appropriate books in the home

3. There are 7000 Languages !
• The 100 most common languages are spoken by
nearly 85% of humanity. For them, there are
plenty of picture books…if they can afford them.
• The 6900 other languages are largely un-served
because it is just plain too expensive to produce
sufficient books for all of these small
populations… they get pretty much no picture
books… regardless of cost.

4. Top Languages in California
And there are
more
languages of
smaller and
smaller
percentages.
There are 224
identified
languages in
Los Angeles
County, alone.

5. But EVERYBODY Needs Books
• Twenty-seven years ago, the National
Commission on Reading announced that "the
single most significant factor influencing a
child's early educational success is an
introduction of books and being read to at
home prior to beginning school.“
• Those Six years of being read to and six years
of book discussions are lost to the “bottom
billion”

6. How many books is enough?
• 100 books in the
home
•  65 % likelihood of
graduating HS.
•  90 % likelihood of
finishing 9th grade.
• Every book up to
about 100 especially
counts, for bookless
homes. Evans, M.D.R., Kelley, J., Sikora, J., Treiman, D.J. 2010. Family scholarly culture and educational success:
Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 28, 171–197.

7. Every Book makes a Difference!

8. Copyright Stands in the Way
Printing Stands in the Way
• Copyright makes books private – they cost
money
• Printing makes books limited – we can run out
of a favorite. Sorry….All gone!

9. Hurdles to using Printed Books for
Solving this World Literacy Challenge
The costs of normal printed publications … Time,
money, effort, space, equipment, etc.
• The Rejections – We can’t make any money with that!
• The Wait - for publishing - on average, 2 years
• Marketing - Artwork, layout, Planning, Rollout, Sales
• Printing – paper, ink, presses, printing labor
• Binding – Cover stock, binding machines, binding labor
• Storage – Space, warehouse labor
• Transportation – Rolling stock, drivers, fuel
• Shelf space – Finite room in (vanishing) bookstores

10. The Publishing Matrix
Private Public
Digital Unite for
Digital
Publishers Literacy
Traditional Public
Print
Publishers Libraries

11. How do we make books
PUBLIC?
Creative Commons!
Attribution? Adaptation? Commercial Use?

12. How do we make books Digital?
Computers
Scanners
Digital Cameras
The Web (Internet and Mobile)
RealeWriter and ReadCreateShare

13. How do we reach the
6900 other languages?!
Computers
Tablets
SMARTPHONES!
By 2015
Cell phones = People on Earth

14. Smartphones!
• Who can afford a
smartphone? – delivering
10,000+ books?
• Well, who can afford even 10
consumable paper, books? -
@ ≈ $14.95 Apiece?
• Who will create those books
in a language spoken by
.01% of Californians?

15. How do we reach every speaker
of that language in the
the far corners of the world?
Mobile Networks
By 2015
Mobile Network Access
>
Clean Water or even Electricity

16. Smartphones – They’re everywhere!
• Smartphones and the expanding mobile network
have been the most rapidly adopted technological
innovation ever
• Smartphones are just small, affordable computers
• Connectivity costs are
minimal and with many phones
unnecessary for reading books.
• There are even projectors for
smartphones now that allow an
entire family to view the screen

17. Where do we get the Books ?
Literacy is simple
if you understand
the power of
participation in
The Book Cycle…

18. The Possibilities
for each of us Pitching In
Just a little…
“One person can make a difference,
and everyone should try.” – JFK
Unite for Literacy
to make a difference that makes a difference in the world
Who?
Well,YOU!
children, students, organizations, families
SCHOOLS
ELL, Special needs, Foreign language, Pre-school

19. But how does MY 1 book help?
1. You decide
to write a
book
about
something
that is a
universal
topic.

20. 2. You add text, images and an English narrator
3. You put it online, UNcopyrighted.
4. Someone in another part of the world sees
its potential for readers in their language
community.
5. They download it, change the images to suit
that community (and/or text in that
language)
6. They add a second narrator
7. They put that second version back online.

21. Sharing Your Book
Starts a Book Cycle
So does everyone else’s in this room.

22. How could we
do that?
Well….if
everybody
pitched in?...
just a little

23. Creating – Digital Exponents
• Every digital book can be multiplied
easily into thousands of books,
interpreted into other languages… or by
adding
• Or replacing images
• An additional language text
• Sound files for (each) language

24. After that initial 100 ?
Careerists, Hobbyists and Experts
Accountant Computer Geek Manufacturer Sailor
Acrobat Cyclist Mathematician Salesman
Arab Dancer Mechanic Skier
Arborist Electrician Office Manager Skate Boarder
Attorney Engineer Octogenarian Sky Diver
Australian Families Pet lover Stamp Collector
Ball player Farmer Photographer Stevedore
Banker Firefighter Physicist Student
Biker Fitness Pro Pilot Surfer
Business owner Gardener Plumber Tailor
Carpenter Good Samaritan Poet Teen
Cherokee Hindu Police officer Therapist
Christian Islander Postal worker Truck Driver
Clerk Jeweler Rancher Waiter
Clown Junk Collector Rodeo Rider Writer

25. Literacy is not for Literacy Tests
It’s for LIFE!
• Reading TO BECOME an informed and
empowered audience… to enable
participation in democracy, to create one’s
own destiny.
• Writing as a new voice FOR audiences of
people one cares about and can help
Literacy is about
Making a difference that makes a difference

26. Even as focused as
Family Specific Books
• Using the learner’s own words makes even a
challenging text comfortable
• Using the learner’s own image(s) makes the
content forever fascinating
• Using the learner’s own voice helps connect
language with print
• Using the learner’s own interests helps
maintain high motivation / interest

27. What Kind of Books?
• Culturally Relevant
– Topics – of interest to family / reader
– Values – shared, congruent with life experience
– Goals – Commitment to the good life
– Images – familiar faces and places
• Linguistically Appropriate
– Level – sophistication of vocabulary, syntax, intention
– Length – from single words to full narrative
– Dialect – language, local dialect / familiar idioms

28. The Power of INTEREST
• Multiple demonstrations / models
• Opportunity to safely try while coaching
• Chance to step out, while watching
• Growth is
in a curve

29. Engaging Families – in What?
• Well, Reading – Not just reading lessons…
READING.
• PLUS, this is not just the
• National Center for Family Reading.
• National Center for Family Literacy –
– Reading yes, but also engaging in…
– Listening
– Speaking
– Writing

30. Engaging Families – When?
• CULTURAL CHANGE is needed.
• Not a daily Event, THROUGHOUT Every day
• Not just one parent, Not just the kids, but the
WHOLE FAMILY
• WEEKDAYS, WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL
OCCASIONS
Creating a Living Culture
of Reading and Writing

31. What if Families took a child’s first 6 Years
to establish a literate culture?
To create a culture of reading…
• To read for and with a child
• To discuss the world presented in books
• To answer questions about books, reading, letters,
words and print
• To make literacy a part of every day life
• To make pleasure reading a daily ritual
• To collect and read together 100s of picture books
• To create their own books
• To share them with friends and family & the world

32. The Case for Late Intervention
Krashen, S. and McQuillan, J. 1996
 Early intervention? 
– Well, of course! –
 Late Intervention? 
– Every bit as good …
So long as learners understand that
there’s no RACE to worry about,
It doesn’t matter how long it took or at what point
literacy is accomplished
Once learners are interested, they just need good (self-
selected) books and time to read.

33. Reading – Always the Starting Point
• Reading of self-selected culturally and
linguistically appropriate books yields:
– Insight into the WHY of reading and writing
– Access to the “end” product of literacy
– Clarity about audience
purpose
genre

34. An Illustration!

35. Unite for Literacy
Why?…to complete the Book Cycle

36. Read

37. Create

38. Text

39. Image Files
Almost any cell phone -- Pics4Learning.com -- About any Government site

40. Sound Files
Fluently Read and Record the Text
Interpret it into second language
(Add new language text if you like)
Add background narrative
Maybe some Music
Certainly, Sound effects
-------
Save as files named for their book pages
Drag and drop onto pages
Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

41. Share

42. The Demonstration!

43. Unite for Literacy
Facebook

44. RealeWriter
http://realewriter.com

45. PLAY TIME!
• I’ll show you RealeWriter, our old program that is in
use in dozens of your programs already.
• We’ve taken the best of RealeWriter, improved it and
are nearly finished building the firsr version of a system
that will put books in the hands of families and their
children, everywhere.
• So let’s play today. Then when ReadCreateShare is
stable and ready, every one of you and your programs
and families may have it for free, to read, create and
share narrated digital picture books
• I’ll collect whatever you create and send it to you along
with directions for printing it if you like.

46. Save your books
• Save your books onto the desktop or to a flash
drive device.
• For those without flash devices, Do NOT turn
off the computers
• Enter your contact information in the
DESCRIBE Panel of the RealeWriter file
• Name, Phone, email
• I’ll send you the file and directions for printing
and binding it into a book if you like.

47. Consider being involved in making a
difference in the world’s Literacy…
Unite for Literacy
to make a difference that makes a difference in the world
Who?
Well,YOU!
Your children - your K-12, ELL, Special needs,
Foreign language, Pre-school kids
Your SCHOOLS
organizations and families

48. You can decide how to be involved…
• Consider the new Common Core State Standards for K-12
“…use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing” (That’s in 1st
Grade)
“…Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as
well as to interact and collaborate with others” (That’s in 6th grade)
“…Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products” (That’s 12th grade)
• Lead Service Learning Projects K-12
• Involve Immigrant families
• Invite Service Organizations and Charitable groups.
• Enlist parents and civic leaders
We can start to end illiteracy for the entire bottom billion
NOW!

49. ReadCreateShare

50. At home…back at school…
• To review today’s slides and the handout, go to:
www.slideshare.com/markwfcondon/presentations
• To view a sample ReadCreateShare book, please visit:
http://www.readcreateshare.com/books/203
• To see some RealeBooks from RealeWriter:
http://Discover.realelibrary.com
• To contact me: mark.condon@uniteforliteracy.com
• Visit us at Facebook for latest developments with
ReadCreateShare:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unite-for-
Literacy/120257514682090

51. Contact Information
• Mark W.F. Condon, Ph.D.
• mark.condon@uniteforliteracy.com
• +1 502 291 9780
• Unite for Literacy info@uniteforliteracy.com
532 W. 66th Street +1.970.669.2389 tel
Loveland, CO 80538 +1.303.952.4444 efax
USA
Write to us, email us, call us or fax us. We'll be happy to
explore with you how to optimize a partnership in service
to literacy.

52. LUNCH TIME!
• We are all going to the kickoff luncheon!
• Be sure to bring your “registration stub" to
gain entrance to the luncheon.
• You’ll need to show that to enter.
Thanks for coming. Have a great conference.
and
Bon Appétit!