Beacon Street » digital content

Netbooks: A Viable Answer?

Pam — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:21:35 +0000

Australian students using netbooks in the classroom.

Since Governor Swarzeneggar’s recent move to make digital textbooks a reality in California, I have been watching the process unfold and have listened to a dizzying array of public reaction. Typically, many people fire off opinions prior to becoming fully informed on the subject. Some fear that economically-disadvantaged students would not be able to keep up without computers and/or internet connections at home. Others cite the high cost of ebook readers as the shortfall of the project.

One thing’s for certain: there is a lot more to be researched and said. I’m not entirely sure that the Governor was totally up-to-speed himself as he proposed his mandate. And how could he be? Technology is changing rapidly, as hardware (ereader manufacturers) and software (textbook publishers) providers all scramble to provide the latest and greatest and more, do it first.

As previously mentioned, the Kindle DX is currently in use on several college campuses as students determine the strengths and weaknesses of the portable electronic book. One issue is the device’s inability to display in color, which diminishes the impact of science textbook photos and diagrams. History books, too, suffer under the monochrome limitation.

After reading about One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) a non-profit organization that strives to “empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child,” I thought, why not here? While it is certainly a worthwhile, altruistic goal to modernize education in Peru and Cambodia, why can’t we improve education in Bakersfield or Hemet in a similar fashion?

Naturally, when I was first introduced to the popular new “netbooks“, something clicked. Netbooks are fully-functioning laptop computers, missing only a CD/DVD drive and a pound or two in weight. Smaller keyboard, smaller screen, but internet capable. Beefy enough to handle word processing and ebooks. Retail priced lower than the Kindle DX. In color. Wrap it up with a rubber collared bump guard and you have a student-ready learning device.

No waiting around in Evansville, IL. The school district is acquiring thousands of netbook computers for their students and teachers. This pilot program will see the rental of these units to families for $70.00 each. The District is picking up the $45.00 balance of the $115.00 yearly rental fee. See the whole story here.

I envision a time when a high school will have its own wi-fi intranet, where teachers will upload and download lesson plans and tests will be instantly posted from students’ netbooks. I see textbooks with interactive, mini-videos embedded within. Who wouldn’t rather watch a reenactment or actual archived footage of an historic event than read through four dry paragraphs recounting same? Today’s students are point-and-click fanatics.

Read here about an Australian school where netbooks have already been implemented. Be sure to read comments made by 4th & 5th grade students. (Top photo courtesy Anne Mirtschin.)

As I mentioned above, there is still much ground to be covered. I look forward to being on the front lines.

Kindle DX: Cost Effective?

Pam — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:18:15 +0000

I’m still ruminating on digital textbooks. Not only is the state of Texas moving forward on getting ebooks approved as bonafide textbooks, but California’s Governor Swarzenegger just launched an initiative to get free digital content developed for high school students. I call that progress! And probably not too coincidentally, this week also marked Amazon’s entry into the e-textbook field with the announcement that their new Kindle DX will be the end-all device for both students and newspaper readers.

I took some time to review all of these announcements. While I am excited about the DX, I feel that $500 is still a very high pricetag. One of the goals here is to reduce students’ costs. And while they are heavier, netbooks, and even notebook computers, can be had for $500, and some e-textbook providers are claiming that Amazon’s prices will be higher (than current e-textbook versions sold for computers) for their digital versions. Where’s the savings? Yeah, the Kindle is sleek, lightweight and will hold thousands of titles (how many does a student need?) But a netbook is also a computer, with internet access, word processing, spreadsheets and database programs. The Kindle is, well, an ereader.

I’m certainly not denigrating Amazon’s direction. I’m actually quite impressed and hoping their trial run in 5 universities reveals lots of good information about students’ needs and habits. Forum boards are buzzing, however, with reactions from students worldwide, most saying the device is “way too expensive” and that textbooks will still be as much as 50% the cost of hardbacks. They also mention that electronic texts “can’t be sold back” after the school year, and that they think, for the price, the DX should “at least be in color.” A few even speak about pirating the ebook versions and thereby paying nothing.

We’ll see. I’ve written to Governor Arnold to offer my help with regard to getting the free digital books into our high schools. It’s the least I can do.

Ebooks in the Classroom? Bravo, Y’all!

Pam — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:51:57 +0000

I was delighted to discover this story online this morning, about how the Texas legislature has given a preliminary approval to a bill that will allow schools to use textbook money to buy ereaders and etextbooks for students. Do you get how important this step is? It is right on so many levels. From The Houston Chronicle:

“Schools would still have the option of buying hardbacks.

“Current law restricts schools’ use of their textbook allotments to traditional books, but some school districts use local tax dollars to purchase electronic learning materials and technology.

“The new proposal would ‘level the playing field and ensure all districts have access to funds that can be used to purchase materials above and beyond traditional textbooks if that will best meet the needs of their local students,’ said Jennifer Bergland, an advocate for the Texas Computer Educators Association.”

As a parent, I am immediately relieved to know that students can literally get out from under the weight of those gargantuan tomes. Doctors nationwide will tell you how damaging a 70+ lb pack is on a child’s back. But beyond that, it just makes sense to have a digital resource that can be updated at will. How about the next time those in the mighty halls of science decide to “downgrade a planet” or reclassify a bug? A simple download will “correct” all those science books. History is made everyday, and students can be automatically enlightened as world events occur. The functionality of Amazon’s “Whispernet” comes to mind.

As an author, what this means to me as that ebooks will become more commonplace. Here is a new inroad into encouraging the public to accept the digital age of books. College students who invest in an ereader will appreciate that the device can also be used for entertainment. Technology will provide teachers with ways to make assignments available for download, even sending grades and test results directly to their students’ machines.

Pundits, of course, are decrying the cost of the readers and saying that parents will likely get “stuck” with the cost of the devices. That’s not how I read it, but every state and district will deal with this issue individually. I can’t wait for this movement to spread here to California, where schools are digging deep for ways to save money. I, for one, intend to explore what I can do to help that process along.