TECH TIP: Cloud Reader

Cloud Reader, Literature, Tech Tip 0 comments

As an EFL/ESL teacher and a tech apps lover, I came across with the Kindle Cloud Reader. One of my Twitter contacts, @edudemic, was the one responsible for getting to know this particular way of reading books online.

But what is “the Cloud Reader?” If we just go back in time a bit, let’s remember when Amazon.com released it Kindle Reader, a portable device that allowed readers to store his/her whole library. Even though Amazon.com continues to sell its Kindles, they have created an kindle-reading app that can allow your PC or laptop to turn into a “Kindle Reader.”

You might be wondering how this is possible. The answer is simple. Even if you want to buy kindle books from Amazon.com for your own entertainment, you –as a teacher- can have your students profit from this application by asking them to get this particular app on their computers.

What’s needed to have students install a Cloud Reader on their computers?

1. If you don’t have Chrome or Safari installed on your computers, it’s a good idea to start over here. Get Chrome at http://www.google.com/chrome or Safari at http://www.apple.com/es/safari/download/. Any of these two browsers supports the Cloud Reader.

2. Create an Amazon.com account. This is necessary because, even though you won’t necessarily pay for books, the system won’t allow anyone get into obtaining the books without an email log-in and password.

3. Once you have Chrome or Safari and have created your account, go to https://read.amazon.com/. At this location you can get the Kindle application for your PC or laptop. It will take just a couple of seconds to have it ready for use.

4. The moment you have your Cloud Reader up and running, go to Amazon.com and browse the free Kindle books they have available. Once you have chosen the free book you want to read:

a. Click on Kindle Edition right below the paperback option.

b. Once you have clicked on the Kindle Edition, a new window will be displayed. To the top right-hand corner you will see the buy-with-one-click option to get the book.

5. Immediately after, you will be sent a confirmation email from Amazon.com and granted permission to access your new book.

What is nice about this free service by Amazon.com is that your Cloud Reader will store the information on how many pages you have read in any of the books you store in your personal library.

To access your library use the same link https://read.amazon.com/. Click on your books to display the last page you read.

You can also buy books if you wish. But for students, who may not have the chance to be purchasing books often, the free ones are as good as the paid ones.

Sample books to download: Click on [Kindle Edition] to see the book.