Theresa Adams

Theresa Adams, a certified School Administrator and Library Media Specialist, is Coordinator for Information Resource Services at Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), which serves 31 school districts north of the Capital Region in New York State. Her responsibilities include overseeing services to schools in the areas of MultiMedia Library, Off-Air and Satellite Taping, Audiovisual and Computer Repair and the WSWHE BOCES web page.

I have been a school library media specialist at all levels K-12 and have always sought ways to make learning a positive experience for students.
 
As a School Library System Coordinator and BOCES Administrator, I found that teachers and librarians want and need quality educational resources to help students learn, and in New York State, we have School Library Systems and BOCES (Regional Educational Cooperatives) which provide the infrastructure for interlibrary loan and media sharing to support schools. The WSWHE Media Library provides shared instructional resources, including videos, audio books, kits, CD-ROM's, laserdiscs and DVD's for teachers in our school districts. I work with teachers and media staff to develop the skills to use new technology and resources.
 
Our statewide learning standards call for students to "read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding," and "read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression". The English Language Arts assessments (Grades 4,8 and 11) in NY State require students to listen to a passage and give written responses to questions about the oral reading. What better way to incorporate listening skills into the curriculum at all levels than using audio books! When I came to this position in July 1999, my predecessor had begun to build the audiobook collection, based on recommendations from teachers and librarians. My visits to schools involve showing teachers how to search the online catalog and locate the appropriate resources for their teaching units and they have responded positively to using audiobooks .
 
IT WORKS!
Reading is the key to student success. Research shows that students who read voluntarily are better readers, in fact do better on reading tests, including vocabulary, sentence structure, comprehension and verbal expression (Stephen Krashen, The Power of Reading, 1993).
 
According to the Colorado Report, the greatest single factor contributing to student achievement is a strong school library media program (Keith Curry Lance, The Impact of School Library Media Centers on Academic Achievement, 1992).
 
Recent research on diverse learners supports implementing a variety of teaching methods, engaging all the senses in the learning experience and integrating, a variety of media resources. So, teachers, team up with your school librarian and introduce your students to books and audiobooks!
 
IT WORKS!
It is my experience that listening to books on tape offers additional benefits to the "reader." As a small tot hears and repeats words, rapidly like the popping of popcorn, our students listen and imitate and learn quickly through their senses. A skilled narrator or storyteller infuses passages with life and realism, speaks in different voices, and includes accents or other languages. This helps to train the listening ear and build a student's vocabulary. Students who listen to books will surprise you with improved verbal skills, frequently trying out new words and phrases. Listening to a story stirs the imagination and helps students develop an understanding of oral tradition common to many cultures.
 
 
TIPS:

	Encourage students to read, read, read! Remember audiobooks can be used in many ways, not just as a whole group listening to an entire book. You might select a chapter or passage to use along with a social studies or science unit. You can listen in small groups or individually. You may choose to send a cassette player and audio book home with a student for the weekend. Encourage students to listen again and again to their favorite parts. Remember to have the print copy of the book handy to check spellings of names, to read along, and ahhhh....to send home with the child to finish reading on his or her own!
	Always preview audio books in full, as you would any media. Your success with the students depends on your preparation and how you prepare your students for learning. Use your effective teaching techniques to introduce the passage, set expectations, stop and test for understanding and interact with students to help them process what they are hearing.
	You can use audio books to improve teaching and learning. Stick with unabridged books. Use your knowledge of the curriculum and the interests and learning styles of your students to match the book to the child. Collaborate with fellow educators and media professionals to develop learning experiences that involve the use of audio books. Investigate online resources that provide curriculum connections not often available elsewhere when you purchase books on tape. A good example is the Audio Bookshelf web page at http://www.audiobookshelf.com/.

IT WORKS!
Here are some ways to get your hands on a great variety of audiobooks for your students. Engage the support of your school librarian. Get your administrators, fellow teachers, Board of Education, parents and community members to understand the value of audio books to support student learning. Connect with your regional Media Library. In New York State, check with your local Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Advocate for local and statewide funding of school library resources to give equity of access to all students regardless of their family income and education.
 
Here are a few great titles to use with your students:

The Giver: At one level this is an exceptional thought-provoking story, whose ideas will stimulate much discussion among your students. At another level, readers will be fascinated listening to the overly polite school children and learning about nuances of meaning in choosing the correct word to describe a situation. It was the 1994 Newbery Medal winner.
 
Sarah, Plain and Tall: Performed by Glenn Close, here's a moving tale of two motherless children who with their dad welcome a mail-order bride into their prairie home and their hearts. Don't try to compete with this narration!
 
Killer Angels: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1975, secondary students can quickly understand a remote time period in history through the eyes and experiences of commanding officers during the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg. (Basis for the movie "Gettysburg").
 

For more information:

Link to the New York State Learning Standards at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/
 
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES at http://wswhe.boces.org
 
Send your comments and questions to Theresa at tadams@wswheboces.org
 
 
EDUCATORS:
If you make good use of audiobooks in your approach to education and feel you have some good tips and inspiration to pass on to others, would you like to be considered for our Educator of the Month feature?
 
If so, contact Heather Frederick, Publisher at Audio Bookshelf at 1-800-234-1713 or audiobooks@prexar.com
We want to honor you!