Playaway

Using Playaway in your Classroom

Having trouble with your reluctant readers?Need a new way to reach your students?  The school library is now offering a new technology service to assist you in improving student literacy. Playaways can be checked out from the library to English classes. Come to the library and see the amazing titles that go along with your curriculum. 

What is it?

- Preloaded, credit card-sized, all-in-one audiobook- requires no MP3 player- only need AAA battery and set of earbuds - over 1800 titles- across 27 genres

Image from: http://www.voya.com/2010/11/17/electronic-eye-december-2010/

How Teachers can use it

- Encourage your reluctant readers- Improve reading comprehension

- Direct, easy to use- Slow down the reader's voice for improved retention- Place digital bookmarks 

Image from: http://library.playaway.com/reference-desk/our-products/playaway

Integrates With Curriculum

Each Playaway comes with a CD-ROM containing:     lesson plans                worksheets                     quizzes                                            project ideas                                         handouts 

Playaway Care and Etiquette

    Playaways are easy to care for!      No special cleaning or maintenance required.        Just replace the battery when needed and that's it!

It's easy to use for any grade level!   Just press play then go!

Image from: http://www.pamunkeylibrary.org/playaway.html

Advantages

• Does not need a separate player.• Easy to carry.• Good for a single listener or... • Can be plugged into a desktop speaker for

the whole class to listen to while they follow along in their books. 

• Aligns with curriculum. • Lesson plans and forms provided.

Sample Lesson PlanMaterials: Lord of the Flies Playaway AudiobookLord of the Flies paperback (class set)Lord of the Flies study guide packet 1.  Review story up to present part in full class discussion.2.  Listen to Chapter 5.  Play Audiobook on Playaway through desktop speakers. 3.  Students will follow along in their paperback book with the audio.  Stop the audio every so often, answer study guide questions.  Ex: The effect of fear on the complex characters. 4.  Discuss the effect the audio has on the story.  Do the characters change in their mind?  How does listening differ from reading it on their own? 

Image from: http://www.fes.follett.com/follett_fes_general/bookdetails.cfm?bID=1913709&bc=New&P=1&isbn=NONE&L=0&ShareID=0&FLP=0&PR=345&CFID=12215827&CFTOKEN=17737078

Curriculum AlignmentThe previous lesson was designed with the following curriculum standards in mind: §110.31. English Language Arts and Reading, English I(b)  Knowledge and skills.     (5)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:            (A)  analyze non-linear plot development (e.g., flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot structures) and compare it to linear plot development;            (B)  analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range of literary devices, including character foils;            (C)  analyze the way in which a work of fiction is shaped by the narrator's point of view;             (D)  demonstrate familiarity with works by authors from non-English-speaking literary traditions with emphasis on classical literature.      (24)  Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:            (A)  listen responsively to a speaker by taking notes that summarize, synthesize, or highlight the speaker's ideas for critical reflection and by asking questions related to the content for clarification and elaboration

What do others say about Playaway?

"Plug your students into something you can feel good about; engage their learning and open a world of reading to them in a whole new dimension."  "...the Playaway may be the most convenient means available for getting audiobooks to your students." - Jeff Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI.

Works Cited

Hastings, Jeff. "Playaway." School Library Journal 53.2 (2007): 23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.  Playaway® and Playaway View® Preloaded Audio and Video    Players. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. http://www.playaway.com/. "Playaways -- Pamunkey Regional Library." Home Page -- Pamunkey Regional Library. 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. http://www.pamunkeylibrary.org/playaway.html. "Playaway® Self-Playing Digital Audiobooks." Follett Educational Services: K-12 Used Textbooks, Brand-New Classroom Literature and Supplemental Materials. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. http://www.fes.follett.com/playaway/playaway.cfm.