Down 2 the Wire: Summer Reading

As part of an investigation for a book proposal, I took a look today at the offerings of iTunes podcasts. The selection of both audio and video podcasts is very varied . I spent a whole morning looking around (this is work?) and found a great gem.

[I am doing my listening on my iPod but as iTunes is free, you can listen to these online.]

At iTunes U, there is an initiative from the University of South Florida called Lit2Go in which educators are creating audio files out of public domain works. Organized both by author and subject, the Web site shows the wide range of titles from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

For those students struggling to finish [or dare I say start?] their required summer reading, this growning compendium of stories can be used to listen to while reading the text.

On the Web page [not in iTunes], you can click on a title and another Web page appears with information and a way to download the .mp3 files (without using iTunes). Here's an example of the Aesop Fable, "The Fox and the Stork". The audio file is one minute, thirteen seconds, the text can be viewed as a Web page or downloaded for printing as a PDF file.

Ah, summer reading!

iPod Book [free]

Determined to get a head start on my Christmas shopping, I began, of course, with an investigation of add-ons for my 5th generation iPod.

I find that as I buy presents for others, I begin to forget that they are going to ask me what I want for my birthday and Christmas, which horribly are in the same month! BTW, this is a BIG birthday year for me.

While surfing through accessory Web sites, I found a downloadable book for free.

Procedural or Navigational Learners?

Wes Fryer's Podcasts (3 of them) are a very worthwhile listen for my new iPod on the topic of Google and Yahoo Tools for Teachers. It is very interesting to me to listen to the actual workshop of a person teaching today and compare it to the past experiences I have had face-to-face. You can hear his directions plus the discussions and questions from the adult learners in the room. I have listened to the first one twice, once while I went outside for a walk, and the second time in front of the computer locating the Web pages, wikis, and videos he is discussing.

Wes makes the aside comment that he is often criticised for conducting a session using his natural navigational learner style. He quickly explains that "older teachers" expect sessions to be "step-by-step" as they are procedural learners. This does describe the style in which I have taught. He says that "younger teachers" are navigational learners and use the click, explore and here we go method of learning.

As I prepare two book proposals and give up the idea of teaching, I find I am deciding that I stand in-between these learning styles. How about you?