Week 9, Thing 22: Audiobooks and eBooks

Although I think that not having the physical presence of the book somewhat changes the experience, e-books can be a great gateway for our tech-savvy students who are resistant to reading.  I just read an article published by the University of Central Florida that presented an argument for the use of digital book talks in the classroom (http://digitalbooktalk.com/).  Their main argument was that students may be more inclined to read if there is some familiar technology involved.  I believe that this argument would also support the use of audiobooks in a similar fashion.  Students may be more inclined to read if the material was in a digital format.  I am impressed with what the Gutenberg Project has been able to do with limited support from volunteers.  They have a wide selection of materials that also can be found in audio version.  The service is great, but the interface leaves a lot be desired.  Also, the fact that each chapter has to be individually downloaded may discourage some readers from using the product.  On the flip side, the British Libraries service has an impressive interface and is the complete reading experience.  You can actually turn the pages, as well as listen to a well-read narration. I was impressed!

As for audiobooks, having the audio available for students is a powerful way to reinforce fluency.  As students are able to read along with a spoken text, they will find that they are able to practice more confidently and possible read texts that they would not be able to read otherwise.  Because there is no audio version of text book available, I have used GarageBand to create an audio version of selected chapters.  This is especially appropriate for ELL, students with a reading disability, and others who may need a supported text.  This also allows students who are ready to read the text on their own, a chance to do so.  But, I am also looking for other sources for free young adult audio recordings.  There are some available through iTunes U, but otherwise I am unsure where I can find them.  Any ideas here?