Can iPads Eliminate Textbooks?
School Committee hears presentation outlining how iPads could replace textbooks.
Are textbooks irrelevant? To hear science teacher Nicholas Rath tell it, they are outdated practically before they even reach the hands of the students they mean to serve.
That's why last year Rath applied for — and received — a grant for 45 iPads so that his students could access the most up-to-date information.
School Committee members were each given an iPad for part of last Tuesday's meeting to get a sense of what living digitally could mean. The demonstration included words within the text where definitions would be available with a simple click. Note taking could be done right there too. Most significantly, teachers and students could essentially create their own textbooks.
Students would not only be freed of some organizational tasks — fewer handout to keep track of, for instance — but also they would also be able to access the most up-to-date information.
While School Committee members were enthusiastic about the technology, Chairwoman Deidre Gifford implored staff members to hold off purchasing new devices until the school department was sure which way it wanted to go.
"We have a history of doing piecemeal technology," she said. "Let’s not do it bit by bit."
Another aspect of the possible switch is professional development for the teachers.
"It’s more than just the cost of the iPads," said Supt. Victor Mercurio. "There’s significant cost in professional development."
The presentation was advisory. The hope is that budget money would be found to be able to invest in 1-1 iPads or tablets for all high school students.
Angel
8:38 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
AND, how about the added benefit of the kids not having to lugg ALL their books around all day in their backpacks because there isnt enough time to go to their lockers between classes and the lockers are so small their backpacks dont fit in them anyhow? These kids will all be walking hunched back in 20 years, maybe 10
Frederick Remington
9:18 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
Maybe with all the newfound energy, we could really get down to teaching, add an hour or two a day to the schedule for something other than sports that benefit a couple of dozen, get fuller use of our investment in physical facilities, and get to the point that being #1 among schools actually means something. Teachers, of course, would want overtime, and wouldn't want summers cut short. Never mind.
EG Lurker
12:45 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
Classic, shortsighted approach to what actually makes up a well-rounded individual - although sports participation may only benefit a percentage of students, the same can be said for music programs, student government, philanthropic organizations, performing arts, et al. Let's also not forget that extending the school day would also reduce time for homework and afterschool jobs (which are a learning effort on their own).
Colleges have made it well known that they look for more than just academic zombies, and the classic argument of "cut sports because my child doesn't benefit" misses the mark...
Frederick Remington
1:37 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
Excellent point, Lurker. Wonder if the School Department has ever identified the kids who participate in sports, and music, and performing arts, and philanthropic organizations, and student government - and then look at the cost of doing each. I'm betting sports gets a higher budget per individual than all the rest. And if this had ever been looked at in this way, would we know? (Yes, you're right - I really don't trust the School Department very much as far as transparency is concerned...)
Donna (Battey) Fish
3:20 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
We have a 7th grader at Cole and on an average week day her backpack weighs anywhere from 21.5 to 23 lbs. May not sound like a lot to an adult, but put that on a frame of a 12 year old that stands under 5' tall - it's a lot. (It's so much that the doctor is sending her for a scoliosis base line test next week.) We are all for iPads -so much so that we are willing to forgo the little extras here and there so that we would be able to purchase one. Please keep up the talks.
Mom of 3
9:22 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
As a high school student, my daughter routinely lugs around a backpack that weighs 35 pounds, and she weighs 93, so it is one third of her body weight. While studying or doing homework, she uses an iPad or MacBook to supplement what she studies in textbooks since she can find information so much faster. She feels it is a more efficient use of her time and I concur. If you added up the cost of all of her textbooks, at $80 to $100+ each, the iPad would be cheaper.
Angel
3:48 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
And it will just get worse in High school..not cool anymore to have the wheeled backpack..My son is very athletic, and still hunches over to carry literally a 40 pound bag...ALL DAY..and no time to get to the buses, so they carry their coats as well...
I say lets continue to look into Ipads, other schools are going that way, and isnt EG suppossed to be ahead of the game?
Mutato
12:49 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I'm all for iPads. More to potentially cut costs on schools purchasing textbooks at high prices. These academic textbook companies will have a harder time justifying these prices without the printing costs. Selling just the content only, like ebooks from Amazon. It's already being done around the country, let's get it rolling in the #1 school district!
Eric Carpenter
7:11 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I think the iPads would be great. I really wonder if there'd be any cost savings associated with them, though. I think the school would still have to acquire electronic textbooks of some sort. I could certainly be mistaken, but I don't envision the textbook publishers dropping their prices for electronic copies all that much, and I wonder what percentage of a textbook's cost is related to printing, anyway (definitely not a big percentage for college texts, not sure about HS texts). Also, I imagine publishers are adding new types of media suited for electronic readers (video, web links, etc.) and that won't be free.
I think we'd also need some infrastructure for keeping the devices up to date software-wise, as well as an online data storage/backup solution. I also imagine there's some sort of insurance the school would need to cover situations where kids lose their iPad.
Very cool technology, though.
David T
7:19 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
That fact that your school department is having this discussion is proof that your town no longer needs any state funding.