Textbooks are an essential in every student’s lives. They contain the information needed to learn the subject. However, textbooks are very expensive. To cut down on costs, Clearwater High School in Clearwater, Florida is piloting a text program. They are replacing all hardcopy textbooks with textbooks in electronic format on Kindles. As said on TBO.com, the school bought over 2,200 Kindles, enough for each Clearwater High school student to have one. The school administration believes using Kindles will advance technology use in the school with students. In addition to having easy access to their books on the Kindle, they can look up material quickly on any subject they are studying at the time. It is like having a library at each student’s fingertips. The school board discovered it is cheaper to load each Kindle with a book than to buy the actual hardcopy of the textbook.
I believe using Kindles is a great idea. It is the way of the further in learning. In addition to saving each student’s backs from carrying backpacks filled with heavy textbooks, it allows students to look up additional resource information other than just what is found in the textbook. Additionally, each student has the option to take out a $20 insurance policy in case something happens to their Kindle, instead of having to make their parents pay $177.60 if it is lost, stolen or broken. The students are finding the biggest issue they are having with the Kindles is the Kindle becomes demagnetized if it touches a cell phone. So if the Kindle is placed in a backpack near a cell phone, the Kindle no longer works. The school is working with the makers of the Kindles to fix this problem. The school’s major concern with the Kindles is making sure the students do use them to access inappropriate websites. There currently is a block on the sites to prevent students for accessing information which is not appropriate for them or a classroom setting. It is anticipated the program will spread to more schools next year. My only regret is the Kindles were not available at my high school so I did not have to tote around an extremely heavy backpack all day.
I believe using Kindles is a great idea. It is the way of the further in learning. In addition to saving each student’s backs from carrying backpacks filled with heavy textbooks, it allows students to look up additional resource information other than just what is found in the textbook. Additionally, each student has the option to take out a $20 insurance policy in case something happens to their Kindle, instead of having to make their parents pay $177.60 if it is lost, stolen or broken. The students are finding the biggest issue they are having with the Kindles is the Kindle becomes demagnetized if it touches a cell phone. So if the Kindle is placed in a backpack near a cell phone, the Kindle no longer works. The school is working with the makers of the Kindles to fix this problem. The school’s major concern with the Kindles is making sure the students do use them to access inappropriate websites. There currently is a block on the sites to prevent students for accessing information which is not appropriate for them or a classroom setting. It is anticipated the program will spread to more schools next year. My only regret is the Kindles were not available at my high school so I did not have to tote around an extremely heavy backpack all day.
Myself, like many other students, often write notes in the margins or highlight important terms in our books. I find using a Kindle less engaging then having the actual material in front of me. Given the price of textbooks today though, some friends of mine here at SMU have opted to purchase online versions of their books. I guess if you are a fan of technology and can learn using a Kindle, go for for it. But for me- I'll be sticking to a heavy text book.
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