Categories: News

Students to create soundtracks for e-books

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1164" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;11&sol;SND09-wk2-Soundtracks-Booktrack&lowbar;logo&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND09-wk2-Soundtracks-Booktrack logo 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>The New Zealand Book Council and Booktrack have teamed up with top Kiwi author Brian Falkner to pilot a new initiative for young authors to create soundtracks to e-books in the classroom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Falkner will visit Hobsonville Point Secondary School in Auckland tomorrow as part of the New Zealand Book Council&&num;8217&semi;s Writers in Schools programme&period; He will lead students in creative writing and creating synchronised soundtracks to e-books and stories using Booktrack&&num;8217&semi;s free education-focused platform&comma; Booktrack Classroom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This auditory approach to reading is designed to inspire an immersive&comma; more engaged experience for students&period; On the day&comma; pupils will learn new writing techniques and then how to layer and mix dynamic audio effects and soundscapes that enhance written stories&comma; bringing them to life visually&comma; imaginatively and aurally&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Each year the New Zealand Book Council&&num;8217&semi;s Writers in Schools programme connects more than 25&comma;000 young New Zealand readers with New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s best writers in classrooms from the inner city to remote rural areas&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Booktrack is a New Zealand company that has developed a revolutionary new digital platform to enable authors and readers to create synchronised&comma; movie-style soundtracks that are automatically paced to match the story while you read&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;As New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s leading national reading charity we are dedicated to inspiring a love of reading because we know the difference it makes to young lives&comma;&&num;8221&semi; New Zealand Book Council CEO Catriona Ferguson says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We are excited to see Brian Falkner use dynamic Booktrack technology to enthuse and extend young readers&&num;8217&semi; pleasure and skill in reading and writing&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Booktrack has already proven it has the power to deepen reading comprehension and engagement&period; Recent research from the University of Auckland revealed that reading with Booktrack Classroom increased students&&num;8217&semi; reading time by 30 per cent and comprehension by up to 17 per cent&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It&&num;8217&semi;s great to be able to team up with the New Zealand Book Council to share the Booktrack Classroom experience to engage young New Zealanders&period; We hope that this will help bring a whole new generation of youth back to the love of reading and creative writing&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Booktrack CEO and co-founder Paul Cameron says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This is a pilot initiative and further Writers in Schools and Booktrack visits are planned&comma; including an upcoming visit led by award-winning author Ted Dawe at Auckland Girls&&num;8217&semi; Grammar School on December 4&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>For more information about the New Zealand Book Council and its Writers in Schools programme&comma; please visit <strong><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;bookcouncil&period;org&period;nz" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">www&period;bookcouncil&period;org&period;nz<&sol;a><&sol;strong>&period; For further information about Booktrack&comma; please visit <strong><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;booktrack&period;com" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">www&period;booktrack&period;com<&sol;a><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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