Just curious, do you use audiobooks? And if yes, how do you use them?
Just curious, do you use audiobooks? And if yes, how do you use them?
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Just curious, do you use audiobooks? And if yes, how do you use them?
Yes! We alternate with how we read/listen to our classroom read alouds. Some days we listen as a class, other days students partner read, silent read or I read aloud.
What site do you use?
@Julie we purchase the cd version to play aloud in each classroom. I teach 7th grade.
I use http://audible.com/ and alternate the same way Naomi does.
Yes! Any kid has access to both Overdrive or our Audible account and every book listened to count as a book read. I wrote about it here https://pernillesripp.com/2016/01/07/why-audio-books-in-the-classroom/
I don’t struggle with Audiobooks as a choice but I do struggle that some teachers use them as the intervention. The idea that having a student listen to a book is the same as working with a teacher is not something I can get behind. Love audiobooks as independent reading.
@Pernille I have been looking for a way to incorporate audiobooks for individual students for a long time. My Audible account will only let one or two users on it at a time, so it’s not good for letting multiple students listen to multiple different texts. I use it for whole group “read alouds”. For Overdrive do you create an account for each child?
@Brent I’m not sure what you mean by teachers using them as an intervention. Do you mean having students listen to an audiobook with no other teacher interaction? Thanks.
@Jim Yup I have seen it countless times. Then they tell the parents about all the books the student read but they have not grown outside the support at all.
I would love to hear how you provide access outside of school. Do your students have school-provided devices they can bring home?
My daughter does so much better when she is listening. Our local library lets us check out audiobooks using Overdrive for free. We use it all the time in the car but I used it with my struggling readers too so they could read the same book as a book club.
I have CDs and a a player and books for students to follow along with. They can choose to do that during their independent reading time or during “morning work.” I am trying to figure out the best way to work it out so all students have access but then they can finish books. I also want to utilize our local library’s online catalog more this year. We have 5 computers and headphones.
Yes, I use them with the whole class books and have several titles during ind. reading. I have 3 CD players and 7 computers to use. I haven’t used an online option yet.
I’ve been trying out the Libby app this summer, and it’s awesome. It works with local public libraries and can even issue free electronic library cards. Their audio books have been terrific and easy to use. https://meet.libbyapp.com/
I was going to mention this too. I’m planning on having the librarian come in and give library cards for all my kids, so they can use the Libby app. I’ve read more in the last 6 months that I’ve had the app than I did all last year!!
I have used Overdrive for the past few years, but now have been seeing the marketing for Libby on the Overdrive app. What’s the difference?
@Hillary I could never get overdrive to work well (could’ve been my phone). Libby seemed much easier and sends books to my kindle very easily. I was able to access the book in both the kindle app and on my kindle device. I can see loading it to my classroom iPad as a reading option especially for those that need/prefer audiobooks.
@Hillary Both Libby and Overdrive are done by the same developer. Libby is easier to use. It is especially nice if you have access to more than one library system.
Thanks for the info about Libby…couldn’t figure out why Overdrive would have 2 apps and haven’t had a chance to check it out.
@Dawn Have you tried Libby yet?
@Shannon I haven’t yet but Sheena went to ISTE and learned about a couple of new platforms I am interested in!
I’ve seen middle school teachers use them as a means for reading the “required” unit novels. This allows students time for independent Book projects based on choice
I have a set of very old iPods that I load audiobooks onto and then check out the book and the iPod to the kids.
Any tips as to how to get or where to buy the old iPods?
I inherited mine and they got them on a grant before I got there. What if you asked people to donate old ones they aren’t using? I’ve been getting old smart phones and iPod touches. The problem I’m having is that the batteries are starting to die. The batteries aren’t that expensive, but you have to have remove screws that are the size of human hairs and then solder the battery in place so I’m pretty sure I’m just going to have to throw them away when they die.
I listen to the audiobooks when I’m driving in my car.
Lol, I didn’t pay attention to what group this was for and I thought someone in one of my book groups was asking how we listen to audio books at home. 🙂
At a high school library I worked in previously, we had audiobooks on CD and also CD players and headphones students could check out. Most students who used the audiobooks also needed to check out the CD player since owning portable CD players seem to be less common now.
Our local library gave all my students library cards for the classroom, so we used Overdrive. I kept the cards at school, but they could write down the codes to use them at home too for ebooks and audiobooks. They could not check out hard copy books with these cards.
All the time! Listening is a LA skill too :). I log all of the computers on to my Audible app and let them listen during independent reading time and I always have a ton of books on cd from the public library or the school library. Sometimes I find them on sale for really cheap at the public library sales.
I want to!!!!! I, myself, was amazed how epic went wild in my room last year! I want to!!!!
As an interventionist I use them as a way to help kids with learning disabilities access the same material as their peers. I would love to (and have) seen them used for whole classes so I always hope that by bringing them in for some, it will encourage teachers to use them for all.
I keep several iPads in my room logged in to my Audible account. From the app, students cannot purchase new books, but they have access to all the books I have purchased. I used this last year during our literature circle unit, and several of my 9th grade students really enjoyed having the option. For this coming year, one of my goals is to incorporate a daily free-choice reading time and I plan to give my students the choice of listening to any of my books on Audible.
For my personal reading, I also check out many books from our library’s digital app. I love the idea of getting students their own library card because 99% of my students have smartphones they bring to school anyway. I use my phone for reading all the time, so I’d love to share that possibility with my students.
I use them to differentiate instruction for my struggling readers.
I use old tape recorders and have kids tape themselves then share with friends. I also do one whole class listen to tape mick Harte was here and we all draw mental images as we’re listening and then we discuss character traits and how they react to problem on story.
Have you ever tried them to do a dramatic reading of a novel?
Since there are several people here using audiobooks with students. I want to pass along a resource that people may not be aware of. http://www.librivox.org/ is a terrific source of FREE audiobooks. They take books that are in the public domain (old out of copyright) and volunteers read them. Since the books are in the public domain, the text can be downloaded for FREE as well, so the students can read along as they listen. My wife and I have probably listened to a couple hundred books from Librivox.
Caveats:
Since the books are old, the choices of children’s lit. is limited. It is probably more useful for MS & HS teachers & students.
The quality of the readers is not consistently high. Although, there are some that are truly outstanding and could be professional voice actors. There are often several recordings of the same work so if you don’t like one reader, there may be another that you or your students will enjoy.
Each track of the recordings begins with a small bit of Librivox license information that may break up the flow. But it is a small price to pay.