Posted on 03/05/2009 5:20:03 AM PST by MrEdd
AUSTIN – Advocates for more technology in the classroom – and fewer textbooks – are stepping up their arguments for change this year, trying to convince Texas lawmakers that the future of electronic textbooks is now.
The technology push is getting a boost from a special House committee that warned about the consequences if Texas is stuck in the past when it comes to classroom materials. Among the reasons: the higher cost of printed books, the expense of transporting and storing them, and the fact that they can be outdated before students get them.
"Our current system just seems outdated in an economy where you can put much of this content out digitally without all those costs," said Rep. Dan Branch, the Dallas Republican who led the committee. He is preparing to file legislation that gives school districts more leverage to purchase electronic textbooks. The goal is to enable local school officials to speed up their shift to e-books through downloads to student laptops, access to online servers or use of computer disks.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Man, I just gotta print that out! ;^)
end of paper ping.
Bad idea, all around.
Handheld ebook readers still only do black and white, and are horrible for photos and graphics.
If the content of the e-books is as biased and inaccurate as the dead tree editions, what diff does the format make?!
Obviously the “electronic textbook” publishers own some Texas legislators.
Right. Make the textbooks more like video games. Then the little rugrats will pick them up for a while.
That said- though, I'm all for online public school teaching. We would not need as many teachers and buildings and parents could monitor what the kids are being taught at home. Just the savings from free breakfast, lunches and elimination of bus routes should be significant.
To-Print or Not-to-Print, for Newspapers like the Dallas Morning News this is a major issue. As far as newpapers are concerned, the issue is not “media” but content. We read papers and on-line publications for information and news. It is “About Content”.
As far as schools are concerned, I have mixed feelings about electronic books only. The efficiencies cited are valid. My observation is that printed material is proofed and re-proofed before publication because of the cost of printing. Electronic media is not. I am sorry it is not. When an error is found it can be changed on the fly, and cost almost nothing reproduce. So the economics of electronic media reduce accuracy, if you do not have feedback.
There is a further step that has more potential impact, but will be fought. That is distance learning. The concept appeals to me, being able to allow the best instructors to teach huge classes via the web. This is an exciting and dangerous approach. It is cost effective and can multiply the impact of the best instructors. Unfortunately it also lends itself open to propaganda and manipulation.
This could be a boost for home schooling. We did not home school our children, but I have seen evidence that if done properly it is better.
In the US they are only black and white.
In Japan color is already on the market.
Look for color to hit the US market in 2011 (we are always behind Japan and Korea now - thank you FCC).
Electronic paper is not the only way to view a textbook - laptops and netbooks are ubiquitous.
I prefer a tablet PC myself - here is what I use:
It toggles between portrait and landscape mode.
1984 revisionist history on the fly?
but good games can educate. “where in the world is carmen sandiego?” was one such game.
BTW, since when is Reading, Writing and Arithmetic out of date unless you live in a would with no cultural foundation.
I hate this president and all who sail in him!
What's this we have now?
I agree, instantly made revisionist history.
And Commies like our Kenyan do Lie.
But if you have looked at printed text books recently, the revisionist history is quite evident.
If you want to see the good use of the electronic media, look at the classic literature that is available on:
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
If you have not already found this resource, you will be impressed.
You are correct, we have that now.
The electronic format is appealing to me because it can be interactive. Allowing open discussion of subjects. The print avenue is only a one way path.
It assumes that children or readers are sponges, and that all knowledge comes from the authorities.
The success of the web on forums like this is the fact that it allows open discussion.
Is there manipulation? Yes, but with feedback it can be controlled.
The Left cannot and will not allow freedom. They cannot maintain control if it is allowed.
That’s news. I knew color ebook readers in prototype form were there, but didn’t know that they’ve already gone on sale.
Are you sure this one is not LCD / OLED?
Anybody ever watch how a kid treats a textbook? Stuffed into the backpack and thrown around with abandon? I don’t see electronic books, with the attendant costs, as a reasonable alternative in a public school.
look up the Fujitsu FLEPia (I am not sure how much there is on it in English).
Precisely so ... and since the Left controls government schools, they will not produce curriculum, in any format, that accurate presents facts in order that students may personally reach conclusions about them.
Non-public education - homeschoolers, private schools, colleges - is making ever-greater use of interactive presentation. Whether the physical format of "electronic books" will prove more useful than (for example) the PC I'm using now remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.