eBooks in Schools
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The Stamford Advocate has a great piece about eBooks in schools; specifically about a test program using Sony eBooks at the Bi-Cultural Day School.
Instead of lugging a huge back pack of books these students have one small book loaded with all of the material they need. Sony provided the school with 25 readers. And Pat Seldin, director of technology at the school, says that the school plans to download books for the readers to fit certain grades' curriculums.
Bi-Cultural Day School Headmaster Gerald Kirshenbaum said e-book readers may find a place in the classroom as they appeal to a generation growing up with technology. "We're pushing books, and sometimes we don't always get takers," he said. "This is an exciting, imaginative and enticing piece of equipment that will get to our goal of increasing their love of literature."
This piece makes me very happy! And not just because I sell eBooks. But also as a concerned parent. I watched my kids haul around a bulging backpack. Thier school had taken all the lockers out; evidently as a way to fight drugs. I do wonder about that particular piece of logic, but never mind. The point is that it made my back ache just to see them struggling with that huge, heavy load! Admitedly rolling cases allieviate that problem, but they are cumbersome and inconvenient.
Add this hassle to that the cost of text books and eBooks in the class room look like a natural. Presumably eBook text books will be cheaper than printed books which would be a great benefit!
Not so quick! Text book publishers, professors and college bookstores all have a large vested interest in maintaining the status quo. I suspect that only consumer pressure will ultimately make them grudgingly change over.
Anyone want to start a consumer advocate group?
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Nice to know children will get more educated with the e-medium.
Interesting idea. Why isn't this being done?
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The old days of carrying lots of huge books will be gone soon.
Please how can ebooks be limited for just one person's usage
Yes, the idea is good. But look at the other effects of this-
1.Instead of carrying books from home to school and back,this arrangement makes them sit before the computer in schools, open their e book/s and refer them. This leads to-i) strain on the eyes and soon they loose the natural visibility and have to wear glasses. Now we are seeing this effect by their addiction to watch TVs.
ii) developing back pain at the early age.iii)Even school life becomes individualistic and a community feeling is lost.
2 It will be like CAI(Computer assisted instruction) which is in practice at higher education level.
3 What is the role of teacher? If students sit and read e books at the computer even in schools, teacher cannot explain.Or, that explanation will be life less.Live ,discussing, observing teacher's verbal and non verbal expressions, is lost.
On the other hand, we can improve this idea with little alteration.Students need not bring texts from home.They have only to bring note books and work books. At school,e book copy of the book may be provided to them.( A set of E text books may be given to each student, and he can keep it in the shelves provided to him).He keeps it open when the teacher teaches it.This is simple and easy to adopt.
With the Cost of Text Books from production to getting it into the hands of each child you can easily see where Governments can and should fund switching to ebooks. Once each kid is assigned an "ebook" lets say by grade that ebook could be loaded with all the texts for that grade from a central server, Not only that never versions could be distributed without any shipping or labour involved. Then you have the not lugging the over loaded book bag to boot.
*random*
its an excellent idea, which is going to revolutionize the way we learn at schools and at home.. This is could reduce the burden of our children.. Hope it works out.. :-)
AprilJune 3 years ago
That is an excellent idea! I feel so bad every time I see kids hauling backpacks that look bigger than them! I support any improvement that makes education and reading easier.