There is a new, at least to me, site called Scribd that I have just discovered, and I’m very excited about it.   This site allows you to type a document on your computer, easily upload it to Scribd in seconds, and then the site immediately posts your document on the Internet with audio speaking the text.

Here’s an example of a Hmong folktale I adapted a couple of days ago:

A Father and His Sons

Just click on the “play” button to the right of the story to hear the text.

This, I believe, is an extraordinary site for English Language Learners.  They can easily post what they write and listen to how it sounds.  They can use pictures and text or just plain text.   Other students and family members can access them (if they have computers and Internet, of course, like the students in our Family Literacy Project).

I’ve posted this link on my Examples of Student Work page.  It’s near the bottom of the page and is called Student Talking Stories.  You’ll also be able to see a number of examples of student “talking stories” there.