Reading Podcasts:  Beyond the Bookcase
As I read aloud books in class, which I love to do for students of all ages (even middle school and high school students), I put on my microphone and record each day’s reading into either Garageband or Itunes.  I then title the track as the novel and chapters read in class.  That way, students who are absent can keep up with the class book by listening to it from either my computer, the teacher web site where I upload the saved file, or an iPod available for check out.  Then, if I lose my voice next year, or I get a substitute who doesn’t like to read aloud, or if a student needs to hear the story twice to work on comprehension issues, I have the reading to use.

Standards Listening Assessments
For the standards reading assessments, the directions say that the teacher should read the same passage several times.  the teacher should try to read it exactly the same each time they read it.  If the teacher were to record the message into iTunes or Garageband, then the reading would definitely be the same each time it is listened to.  It would be same for the whole class taking the assessment together.  It would be the same for a special needs student who takes it in another room. It would be the same for an absent student taking the assessment in a makeup session.