Everyone’s talking about digital textbooks…
Perhaps because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California gave it some broad public attention, or perhaps it is a sign of the times, but it seems not a day goes by that there is not another news story about digital textbooks. Since my concerns are related to the accessibility of the media and the medium, I have been reading all that I can.
Here are some of the latest stories, just in case you are interested.
California names first digital textbooks that meet standards for high school math, science
Online textbooks offered free to students
U.S. company to offer digital textbooks on iPhone
Digital textbooks may soon take over for paper predecessors
And so it goes…
~j
I just finished reading another article about “digital textbooks” published by ABC News – http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ipods-laptops-replacing-school-textbooks/story?id=8563292
One quote really got me:
” Sure, students are supposed to use the iPods for their class projects, but who will be the wiser if they shoot off an email or a tweet to their friends, or just surf the Web aimlessly instead of doing their work? ”
This is so silly…when I was a kid – a million years ago – I used to play with my “mechanical pencil” making believe it was a rocket ship. The reason for doing this was likely the same reason a student today would choose (actively or passively) to “play” with their technology tools instead of using them for their intended purpose. I was bored! And despite the expansiveness and expensiveness of today’s teaching/learning tools, kids will drift off when the learning environment is not stimulating.
PS: I think I still have that Pentel p207