Audiobook Process Review

Audiobooks are a great way to listen to your favorite books when you don't have time to sit down and read a huge novel. You can purchase or rent books in various formats, (such as books on tape, books on CD, or digital downloads from the Internet), and many bookstores and public libraries provide them for everyone to enjoy. It's a great way to catch up and "read" whether you are at home or on the go.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently downloaded the audio versions of the first 2 books in the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson. I am already familiar with the entire series, since I own printed copies of all of the books. However, I also enjoy listening to the audio. As a graduate student and a part-time substitute teacher, I don't always have time to myself to read for pleasure, unless I am reading something on my phone. That's why I'm glad that I decided to download these 2 books. I received my own Amazon Kindle Fire HDX for my birthday, so I can bring them with me wherever I go. I often enjoy listening to music on the Internet when I am working on assignments for school because I find that it helps me to relax and concentrate better on whatever it is I am working on. Now, I can also listen to one of my audiobooks while I am working. My new Amazon Fire phone came with a set of ear buds, so if the rest of my family is watching television or talking, I can plug them into my Kindle and listen to my audiobooks without disturbing anyone.

Audiobooks are the way of the future. In the classroom, they would be a wonderful resource that teachers can use if they have students with visual processing difficulties. You can find audiobooks for almost any kind of book for people of all ages. Multiple genres are available, and some textbooks even come in audiobook format. What audiobooks have you listened to?

Field Trip #1 Library Study

During my library study, I visited 2 different locations of the Jacksonville Public Library. My entire experience lasted about 2 and a half hours, (12:00 pm-2:30 pm). First, I visited the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville. They do not have a special needs collection like I originally thought, (the clerk I asked had no idea what I was talking about). However, they do have a valuable resource called "Talking Books", which provides people with visual processing difficulties with audiobooks and computers. This resource is only open Monday-Friday, so it wasn't available when I visited the library. I was able to take some pictures of the room, though, (see below).

The Main Library also has special programs for children with various learning needs. One of these programs is called "Traveling Tales". This resource is a storytime program that parents and families can take home to enjoy together. It includes a thematic unit specifically designed to encouraged reading readiness and language skills for children between the ages of 2 and 5. Each unit comes with 5 books based on the theme, a CD and DVD, (depending on the unit, not all units come with DVDs), a flannel board story, a manipulative, (such as a puzzle), and a program manual that contains words to songs, rhymes, exercises, and other program ideas. When a family finishes one unit, they can turn it back into the library and check out another one. There are 76 different themes to choose from, (everything from airplanes to zoo). The Traveling Tales program focuses on each of the following skills:

• Oral language
• Emergent comprehension
• Phonological awareness
• Letter knowledge/awareness
• Emergent writing
• Print awareness/motivation

To check out a Traveling Tale, you must call the Main Library at 630-2417 to reserve a kit.

All of the Jacksonville Public Libraries offer programs for children ages 18 and under. Children ages 0-5 can come in and enjoy storytimes in the mornings. This program is usually offered 3 times a week, depending on the library branch you visit. School-age youths, (ages 5-12) can participate in early release day activities, (fun educational activities on early release Wednesdays) and arts and crafts. Tweens and Teens, (ages 12-18) can join book clubs that feature discussions on popular young adult books. They can also participate in arts and crafts. There are multiple online resources on the Jacksonville Public Library website that each of these groups can access for free. All of the activities described above are free and open to the public.

The second library I visited today is the Charles Webb Wesconnett  branch on 103rd street, (next to Walmart). I was there for about one hour and 15 minutes, (from 1:15-2:30 pm). During the time I visited today, I did a lot of people watching. I noticed that 24 people were on the computers in the adult section, (the largest part of the library). At the same time, there were 5 people checking out books at the front desk, (2 children checked out materials as I was leaving the library). There were also 4 teens who were using the computers in the teen area. The teen area at Webb is very small; it is pretty much just one long bookshelf of fiction books, a round table with 5 computers, and a smaller bookshelf that contains a few teen magazines and graphic novels. It is located in the very back of the adult section of the library, between the tables and front windows to the left and the non-fiction section on the right. In the children's department later on in my study, I found 6 children on the computers. There were also 8 children who were studying or tutoring with an adult.

While I was studying the adult section of the library, I counted the number of people who were browsing the shelves for books. There were 10 people at the time walking through the stacks. At the various tables in this section of the library, 6 adults were reading on their personal laptops, cell phones, and tablets, or looking through the materials they chose from the shelves. One great resource that is available for patrons with special needs is the large print section. 6 short bookcases, (3 columns of shelves on each side) provide books that are written in large print that makes it easier for people with visual difficulties to read their favorite books. About half of this section was dedicated to fiction materials and the other half was occupied by non-fiction books. Webb library also has 4 aisles of audiobooks, (both fiction and non-fiction) that are available on both tape and CD. The foreign language section at Webb is also very limited. Only one aisle was dedicated to materials that were printed in another language, and that language was Spanish. Other libraries that are much bigger than Webb, (such as the West Regional branch), have a variety of materials available from multiple foreign languages. 

Ok, we've talked about the materials you can find in the Webb library, so let's talk about some of the different rooms that are available. All of the libraries in Jacksonville have at least one room that you can reserve for private studying, teaching, or other events. In the area located between the front desk and the restrooms, there is a large, square room of glass called the e-classroom, (electronic classroom). There are several computers inside that can be used when you need to demonstrate something to a large group of people. Along the back wall by the front desk, you will find a study room. 2 conference rooms are located in a small alcove between the auditorium and the study room. The auditorium has a set of green double doors and is located directly beside the restrooms. At the time of my visit, all of these rooms were being used. People were studying in the study and conference rooms, and there was a seminar about filing your taxes going on behind the closed doors of the auditorium. 

The website for the Jacksonville Public Library is also a valuable resource to use. The home page allows you to learn more about programs and events, access the library catalog, sign up for computer classes and the e-newsletter, and even ask a librarian a question. At the top right hand side of the screen, you can log in to your own library account by inserting your library card number and pin number. This allows you to check out/renew library materials, pay any fees you may have, and reserve materials to pick up. When you reserve materials, you can choose the branch that you want to visit to pick them up and they will be held for you for up to one week.

Screen Shot of Jacksonville Public Library Website

You can also use the website to find library locations and hours, access resources such as E-books and the special collections department, ask about volunteer and career opportunities, and much more!

 Sign outside of Talking Books/Special Needs Library at Jacksonville's Main Library Branch

 Spanish Materials Are Available at the Charles Webb Wesconnett Branch

 You can check out books on tape too!

 The word "Read" is displayed in various languages above the shelves in Webb's Children department

 A peek inside the Talking Books/Special Needs Library at the Main Branch

 Another view of the inside of the Talking Books/Special Needs Library

 A variety of audiobooks are available at Webb Wesconnett

 The auditorium at Webb Wesconnett

 One of the conference rooms at Webb Wesconnett

 The electronic classroom at Webb Wesconnett

 A sign advertising for Story Time at Webb Wesconnett

 Another view of the "Read" display at Webb Wesconnett

 Celebrating Black History Month at Webb Wesconnett's Children Department

Children who are just learning how to read can check out YReaders

 Brochure explaining the Traveling Tales Program at Main Library

Brochure that explains the various youth services available at all of the public libraries in Jacksonville

The Noun Project

The 10 Icons I picked for this project as follows:

 1. Crayon: Be creative in your writing

 2. Paper and Pencil: Write neatly and edit your work for errors.

 3. Highlight: Look for new words you don't understand.

 4. Note taking: Write down new ideas and thoughts

 5. Current Events: Can you relate the topic to something that is happening in real life?

 6. Silence: Be quiet and respectful when others are talking.

 7. Participation: Let your ideas be heard!

 8. Research: What else can you learn about the current topic?

 9. Network: Find someone else who knows something about your topic

10. Sum it all Up: Does your writing make sense?

Aimee's Textbook Wordle

For my textbook Wordle, I copied and pasted the first paragraph of the introduction of our course textbook, (What Research has to Say about Reading Instruction). I went to the website where I purchased the digital copy of the book and downloaded the PDF version of the introduction. My Wordle for this version can be found here:

 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232" 
          title="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle #2"><img
          src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232"
          alt="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle #2"
          style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

Aimee's Novel Wordle

For my first Wordle, (the one for the novel), I copied and pasted the first few paragraphs from the 7th Kingdom Keepers book by Ridley Pearson. The fans were able to help write parts of the final novel, which can be found at http://www.kingdomkeepersinsider.com. Below is the URL and code for my Wordle:

 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/8485098/Aimee%27s_Wordle" 
          title="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle"><img
          src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485098/Aimee%27s_Wordle"
          alt="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle"
          style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232

Concept Map: Chapter 1 of Textbook

Chapter 1 of the textbook, What Research has to Say About Reading Instruction, talks about the very first concept children master when learning to read: the alphabet. We learn to recognize letters and eventually words before we move on to stories and other forms of text. Below is a concept map I created that outlines the points of the chapter that I found to be the most important.

Concept Map: The Writing Process

It is important for students to understand all of the stages of the Writing Process before they begin a piece of writing. There are 5 steps to the Writing Process:

1. Pre-writing: In this stage, students and writers brainstorm different ideas that they want to include in their writing. Many writers organize their thoughts by creating concept maps, outlines, or other forms of graphic organizers.
2. Writing: Now that your thoughts have been organized, it is time to begin writing your first rough draft, (depending on the class, teacher, or writer, several rough drafts may be written before the final product is published). During this time, it is important that you do not focus too much on the mechanics or grammar errors of your piece. You will take care of those later.
3. Revision: Some writers use this stage to conduct an A.R.R.R. survey. They Add, Rearrange, Remove, and Replace words and details in the piece.
4. Editing: It's time to proofread your writing!! Be sure to carefully check your paper for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
5. Publishing: Your paper is ready for publication!!

Here is a Concept Map that illustrates the Writing Process: