Dropping 200 lbs in 1 year - Will tablets replace standard textbooks?

For many years schools have been purchasing standard paper textbooks for
students. As we continue through the digital age, how much longer do
these books have to their existence?

Tablet PC’s and iPad’s are becoming the way of the now, not just the way of the future. Some schools are already starting to implement them
into their curriculum. There are several advantages of switching over
to a tablet model from the standard textbook model, the most obvious
being price.

Standard textbooks are very expensive, especially when you need to continually purchase new ones to keep them up to date.
Many K-12 schools spend up to $1200 per year for every student on
standard textbooks. College students can pay over $1200 a semester on
standard textbooks. You can buy a mid-level tablet for a onetime fee of
roughly $500. Obliviously there will be costs to the publishers but
this will be nowhere near the cost of continually purchasing standard
textbooks.

Check out the whole article at: http://schoolvue.blogspot.com/2010/08/dropping-200-lbs-in-1-year-wi...


Tags: computers, director, education, ipad, it, modern, pc, schools, standard, tablet, More…teachers, teaching, tech, technology, textbooks

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I had the pleasure of examining the Nook at Barnes and Noble yesterday.

It's a NO_BRAINER! The business model will shift from print to e-texts. Eventually one major publisher will realize that evolving will be better than extinction, and lead the way. Or, they will be bought by an e-provider.

The overhead costs will drop, profits will remain the same or increase, and end user costs will decrease.

The only question: "What do we do with all those useless bookbags and backpacks?"

JJC
4 Virginia schools trade textbooks for ipads. See article at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2010/sep29.shtml

Kindle and the Nook apps work great on the ipad too.
Of the Kindle, Nook,Sony e-reader or iPad, which device would be the best for classroom use? Would it be more appropriate for the students to simply have an electronic book or should they have something like the iPad that can be more interractive allowing internet access, word processesing and photo and video viewing? Is the iPad the only book reader that has these features or do the other readers have similar features?
iPads are a great alternative to carrying textbooks in hardcover form. While reading the article about iPads in VA schools, I noticed that in the High School it was the AP students who received the iPads. These students are already outpeforming their peers in the academic setting and now they are given another advantage. Would the test-run of these devices in schools reveal a different perspective on their efficiency if given to the average student?
I think that in the short term e-readers may take the place of textbooks, but in the long run, these ebooks will be interactive, need the ability to play media, and have interactive quizzes and games for the students to play. This will require a different device to the e-readers of today and may play into the hands of something like the iPad if some advances are made in battery life on these power sucking LCD screens.
Agreed, but I still think the interactive element will play a big part in the future, and at the moment, e-ink does not really have the capability to support that. Look at some of the e-zines you can buy for the iPad that have videos to watch, pictures you can revolve 360 degrees etc. This is what I see a good e-textbook of the future including.
This does seem to be the inevitable future coming at us. As time progresses, the cost will come down and not be so much of an issue, except for who pays for the tablet? One major concern I have is if a student uses a Tablet PC, is how to keep them on task and not surfing the internet during class. Outside of that, I do not see too many other serious issues.
Almost anything online offers both the dangers of surfing but also the protection of locks and filters that can be easily added by any addministartor. I dont think we should let this problem hold us back, schools have always found a way to prevent this on basic computers, so I would think tablets would be the same. I feel technology is a great addition t the classroom as long as it is properly regulated.
I think it's a good idea to implement tablets and i pads in the classroom. The only thing is, they need to be implemented gradually. I-pads and tablets can not only involve electronic print, they can also provide media and lesson apps. Basically, i-pads and tablets have the potential to be much more effective than textbooks, but teachers need to learn how to implement them properly.
It is true that you spend more money buying textbooks when you could spend half in a device like the ipad and get your textbooks off from there, but i think that textbooks are easier to read and less complicated.
I think eventually textbook publishers will be in trouble once ipads become more popular amongst college students. Ipads are a one time fee of about $500 and I know this because my sister just bought an ipad recently. With the ipads you can purchase books online for cheaper by websites that allow you to download the textbooks. Once all the books you need are downloaded you have this lightweight tablet that replaces a backpack all together. As time goes on elem schools will have enough money to fund for ipads and there are multiple things the students can do with the ipads to keep the learning going after reading on the ipad. The great things about these technological tablets is the convenience to have everything at your hands!
I don't think book publishers will be in trouble yet. For now, I think it is just textbook PRINTERS that will be in trouble. Publishers will still be able to collect fees for electronic versions of their materials.

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