In the fall of 2007, e-readers captured the attention of the public with the Kindle. It took no time for other companies to manufacture their own brands. The people that ventured into the e-reader phase of technology had nothing but kudos for the product. I must admit that I downloaded books onto my iPad and found it easier to carry around than a hardback or paperback novel. I could even continue to read my book on my phone if my tablet wasn’t available.
A few years ago my district superintendent was playing with the idea of purchasing e-readers and downloading books. There was much discussion but no action. The debate at the meeting was:
• Should textbooks be replaced?
• Can the school keep the devices from crashing and losing work?
• Does logging in waste valuable reading time?
• How do we keep them from getting damaged or stolen?
Our concerns went to the wayside because a couple of years later, we still had no tablets to download readers or textbooks. I even offered to purchase some through a federal grant but there was no research to prove their value and teachers didn’t know what to do with them.
People I talk to are divided between an old fashioned book and a book on a tablet although, once they used the tablet, they were sold. They didn’t return to the bound book. Personally, I fluctuate between both. I find that downloading electronic books can become costly, especially if you are an avid reader. I resort to my local library for books and have discovered that many of the titles are only available in bound books and are not able to be downloaded onto a tablet. To this day I research and read on line with my computer, phone, or iPad.
Many readers prefer the tactile experience of holding a book while reading. I prefer the swoosh or click of turning the page of the tablet and using the search window for backtracking to find something I missed during my reading experience- which can be frustrating when leafing through a bound book. I also get distracted with looking at two pages of print and all the pages left to read in the chapter.
In moving toward digital technology, state and federal officials have called for printed textbooks to become obsolete by 2015. This is predicted to cut costs for districts and eliminate outdated textbooks.
Presently, for major publishing companies like McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the K-12 market is an $8 billion industry for providing textbooks. The tablet industry, with 42% of adults owning a tablet, is a walloping $72 billion industry.
Proponents say that teachers support the use of tablets because they are lighter than bound textbooks and tablets are environmentally friendly. This is an argument that I find debatable because a single tablet requires the extraction of many minerals, gallons of water, and the use of greenhouse gases.
In a study conducted by the Public Broadcasting Service, 77% of teachers surveyed found technology increased student motivation to learn in that it allows for differentiation of instruction. Educators understand that e-textbook information can be updated instantly to newer editions verses the bound textbooks that are in the classrooms for as long as 7-10 years.
Opponents claim that tablets are expensive and cause students to be distracted. They further claim that they contribute to eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision although I have not seen research to validate this claim. They say that tablets increase the number of excuses available for students not doing their schoolwork because the tablet froze or broke or wasn’t charged- I say that excuses exist either way. Opponents assert that low-income families do not have the internet bandwidth to use tablets, therefore limiting the use to more affluent families and financially richer schools. They also claim that the less technologically savvy student will have difficulty- another argument that I find a lack of research on because my 3 year old grandchild can read books and find music on my iPad.
E-readers are more appealing to reluctant readers because unknown words can easily be defined immediately without asking for help. This benefits vocabulary development. E-readers also have text-to-voice features for English Language Learners. They even contain videos, audio, music, games, and other types of interactive activities that keep students motivated to read. In a survey by Scholastic, a third of students said they would read more books if they had an e-reader.
I’m not advocating the elimination of books. I’m suggesting that e-readers in schools will make for a lighter backpack and serve as a motivating tool for reading. Reading is challenging; if we can make it more fun with a tablet, I advocate using technology. 40% of Americans read material online. In using tablets in the classroom teachers will have a plethora of information readily available to students. Once in use, tablets don’t become a focal point, they become a resource. Today’s dilemma is not if to purchase a tablet for reading, it’s which tablet provides the most for the dollar. Schools need to realize that technology is here to stay. They need to embrace the future.
