Classroom audiobook tips

I am taking this from a conversation I had with a friend who teaches elementary school in Dallas. I hope she doesn't mind.

We had been talking about the beauty of checking audiobook CDs from the library, then upoading them to iTunes. I had been looking to just burn copies of the CDs and store them either with my classroom library or near my classroom library. Then she offered this advice:

"Load Itunes onto your classroom computers and use those as listening stations. I do that and I have 5 iPods that can be checked out (shuffles, mostly donated). Of the iPods I have 3 are from a collection taken up by the parents in my class (10 bucks a kid= $200) and the other two I bought with my own money."

I haven't talked with her about the possible downsides to loaning out iPods, but even if you only allow your students to use them in class, I think it's a fantastic idea. Take a look at the iPod Shuffle here, and check out the neat new ad.

I think this is an idea that can be used in classrooms at any level. To read more about how audiobooks had a huge impact on a middle school classroom, do yourself an enormous favor and check out:


Caught in the Middle, Susan Ohanian

This book spends a lot of time talking about crazy school bureaucracy, and it also has fantastic suggestions for language arts classes for students of all abilities.

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