This article in The Salt Lake Tribune is about a new Web site called Mighty Authors, which allows students to publish their own books for free on loose paper and for a fee for soft or hardcover books. Launched by a Utah teacher, the aim of the service is to motivate students to write more and to use the site to help teach writing in the classroom.
One of the things I hear from educators over and over again is that students are much more motivated and engaged in their work if they have a tangible audience, and it seems like this Web site is a great way for students to tap into that. By having a book that they can hold in their hands and show to friends and family, I imagine many students who might not normally take on such an endeavor could be encouraged to try their hand at writing.