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free podcasting

Upload photos and audio upload audio by phone

Booktrack is an interesting service that I recently tried after reading about it on Larry Ferlazzo's blog. Booktrack allows you to add a soundtrack to a text. The soundtrack can be soft music or ambient noises like waves crashing. Booktrack claims that the soundtracks create a better reading environment which leads to improved reading comprehension.  Booktrack offers books that you can read in your web browser and through their iPad and Android apps. Students and teachers can create and share their own booktracks through Booktrack Classroom. Registration is required in order to use all of features offered by Booktrack Classroom. Click here to take a look at some sample Booktracks. 

Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. An abstract, citation, playing time, and word count are given for each of the passages. Many of the passages also have a related reading strategy identified. Each reading passage can also be downloaded as a PDF and printed for use as a read-along or as supplemental reading material for your classroom.

Starts with the simple question: What do you want to create today? Take a look… there are MANY examples from the classroom. See what inspires you? See how you can upgrade a traditionally taught lesson or project? It is not just about the fun and tech "wow" such upgrades can bring, but about the valuable and necessary skills we are exposing our students to (at their developmentally appropriate stage). Skills they will need for THEIR future. Remember what Heidi Hayes Jacobs always says: "What year are YOU preparing your students for?"