Posted on 10/10/2002 9:23:39 PM PDT by chance33_98
High School Eliminates Textbooks For Computers Charter School First In Nation To Eliminate Books
POSTED: 3:41 p.m. PDT October 10, 2002
SAN DIEGO -- Students at a new charter high school in Ramona are pioneers in education.
Instead of lugging heavy textbooks to class, they are among the first in the nation to rely solely on computers for their lessons.
The textbook elimination comes as growing back pain complaints prompted the California legislature to pass a law limiting how much school books can weigh.
Officials at the small charter school outside San Diego took the matter one step further and used the money normally spent on books to buy computers.
They say the move will not only alleviate back problems, it will also give students access to state-of-the-art online educational tools including online sites and CD-ROMs.
Using the computers, students can print out assignments to take home. And if the homework requires a computer, they can use the schools' machines after school.
School director David Tarr says the new system is not the wave of the future. Instead, he says, "it's the wave of the present."
Instead of lugging heavy textbooks to class, they are among the first in the nation to rely solely on computers for their lessons.The textbook elimination comes as growing back pain complaints prompted the California legislature to pass a law limiting how much school books can weigh.
Did it ever occur to these mental giants to buy two sets of books -- one for school and the other for home?
They can't keep the books at school. They don't have lockers anymore because kids were hiding drugs or guns in them.
If these school administrators had any brains, they would go down to Wal-Mart, buy a $29 bookcase, and set it up in the classroom.
It ain't rocket science, folks :-)
Wonder what the enlightened legislature will do when these students complain about eye strain or repeatative stress injuries from using a mouse?
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Is there no sanity left in this nation? Now we need a department of back pack inspection and policing? I'm serious when I say it's no wonder we have an idiot in Maryland shooting people. It's as sane as anything else going on.
Part One
I've been earning my living as a computer guy for the last 13 years or so, and you would think I'd be all for computer-based schooling. Yet I still find serious studying using online computer courses difficult and/or annoying.
I much prefer studying with books, while using a pen and paper to take notes. Writing things down as you read them seems to reinforce the learning (at least for me).
I also find reading long articles on the web and scrolling a page at a time is very tiring and distracting.
Part Two
These little wimps need to GET SOME BACKBONE, not be relieved of their book-burdens. They NEED the friggin excercise of carrying books. If it's carrying books complaints now, it'll be G-Damn carpal-tunnel syndrome complaints in the headlines a few years down the road.
What is wrong with America these days ? ? ?
I'll tell you. It's the liberal EVERYONE'S A VICTIM syndrome.
I started playing varsity football as a 5'-10", 104 Lbs. high school freshman and finished 4 years later at 6'-0" and never more than 135 Lbs.(granted, I AM INSANE). I must have looked like a rag doll getting tossed around by a rabid dog most games, but absent broken bones, I kept getting up and kept playing (what a great game).
The point is, being physically tough and facing physical challenges was part of growing up. It never would've even OCCURRED to me to complain about carrying books.
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. LOL
I find the computer great for some things while learning, like interactive simulations, etc. But there is something about holding a book in my hands that I like too much to give up totally.
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