e-Z Reading: The Perks of e-Readers
I'm not sure about you all, but I'm not the strongest of ladies. My lack of back and arm strength limits me to the amount of pounds I can lift at a time. Therefore, I'm not the biggest fan of lugging around 10 lbs. worth of textbooks and leisurely reads in my backpack to and from school everyday. Fortunately, the up-and-coming e-Reader devices are here to solve our problems! The e-Readers can hold your ENTIRE library in one lightweight device.
The e-Reader devices are great resources that students, parents, and teachers alike can use that will benefit student learning. As textbook prices continue to rise, schools have found themselves unable to purchase new books or even any books at all. A new trend among schools is to put money towards electronic devices that can download electronic texts. E-books range from textbooks to leisurely reads and can be downloaded to the electronic tablets instead of buying dozens of heavy textbooks. Because the e-books are digital, the newest versions can be updated frequently. That way, all students are accessing the current version of the book.
These e-Readers really give students a hands-on experience to learning. You can not only read books on the electronic readers but there are other multi-media tools such as interactive study guides and quizzes that students can use to extend their learning. You can also highlight words and pages, write notes, copy and paste, listen to recordings and even share notes with other e-Readers. Another cool feature that I really like is the audio ability the tablets have; some books can be downloaded as audio books!
The e-Readers like the Nook or Kindle can also be safer than other electronic tablets. Because the e-Readers don't provide as much Internet browsing as tablets like the iPad, students can use the e-readers safely. The e-Readers are delicate and valuable so care must be considered. If the students are held accountable for their responsibility of their tablet, I think that all should be okay. The opportunity to access unlimited e-books is just too good to pass up so the investment should be made.
As these products continue to develop, more software will be adapted that will be more student-friendly and continue to extend student learning. I feel that students will be more interesting in using a piece of technology to read their texts because it 'seems' more fun (and it is!). I hope that I will have access to these tools when I have my own classroom because I think my students will love them!
More information about e-Readers can be found at 7 Things You Should Know About E-Readers.
More information about e-Books can be found at 7 Things You Should Know About E-Books.
Check you later!
Ms. Lyvers,
ReplyDeleteYour take on e-Readers is right in line with my perception. Being an owner of a Kindle, I have found many advantages with this great new device. One can never replace that "old book smell" or flipping the pages of a real book, but one certainly can get used to an e-Reader and find many advantages with it. The portability of items such as my Kindle make it possible to read almost anywhere! I tell you, reading on the elliptical at the gym to pass time has definitely become a lot less challenging with my Kindle. Flipping pages isn't always the easiest thing to do on machinery! I also have to add that the Kindle's screen is unlike a computer's in the sense that it does not have a back light. There is no glow and therefore, the screen is very reader friendly.
While I have really only connected my Kindle experience with your post, I have full confidence in the other e-Readers you mention. It's great to see this new wave of technology really taking off! One can only imagine what will be next?!
Ms. Lyvers,
ReplyDeleteYou are right on with the e-Readers! I myself have just invested in an iPhone and although I am addicted the machine already, it is difficult to read from much like the iPad. I enjoy reading off of a Nook or Kindle since it is more eye friendly. Also, there is something so intimidating about receiving giant text books upon entering a classroom. These e-Reader machines hide the length and therefore students end up reading much more than expected. However, I still love the concept of picking out a new book to read and that paper smell. Can we predict the elimination of books? Who knows! We do know that this technology has a way to motivate our students and that is the wave we must ride!
I do find the idea of e-Readers interesting. While many people in our class probably have experience with such devices as a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, I do not. So my opinion is one of "an outsider looking in" so to speak. I believe that the e-Readers have much upside within school systems however. I think it would be an interesting idea to let students start using the e-Readers in a grade in which they can handle the technology, perhaps 3rd grade. The students can keep the same e-Reader from 3rd grade all the way up until graduation from high school (excluding summers). This way all students notes and files will be on the same e-Reader. At the time of graduation, the school system can offer to sell the piece of technology to the student at a reduced price. I mean after nine years of use perhaps the school system would be needing to upgrade their equipment anyhow. If not, they just clear off all old student files and re-use it with another 3rd grade class.
ReplyDeleteI do think that students should be held responsible for the safety of their e-Reader, but I feel as if this could potentially be a sticky situation. What happens if a student cannot afford to replace it? Or what happens if a student has broken two e-Readers, do you give him/her a third one? There are just a lot of potential questions to think about.
If this alternative to textbooks really is a huge savings in money, then I do support the cause. It will allow convenience for the students and teachers. The teachers can also put together text sets for the students to learn from and each student could have the text set on their own e-Reader. A solid policy concerning the safety and use of the e-Readers would have to be established however (in this policy would also have to be something concerning internet use). But once this is established and proven, I do believe this could be a great idea.
After just reading about iPads in the classroom, I think I am starting to like the idea of e-Readers in the classroom as a better alternative. I have a difficult time reading the iPad after a while because the back-lit screen hurts my eyes. However, most e-Readers do not have this built in. I also worry about the safety risks of iPads due to the freedom students have on the internet. With e-Readers, the school could feel that students are being safer. I also thought about something the above commenter mentioned: What happens when a student breaks an e-Reader? Textbooks may be upwards of $50 sometimes, but e-Readers are much more expensive. There are many things to consider before incorporating anything new, such as e-Readers, into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand that the price of the e-Readers may be costly to replace, however, I know students in my school that have lost their textbook twice and have had to pay $50+ to replace them. I believe if an agreement is signed by the students, parents, and teachers that explicitly states the expectations and responsibilities, care will be taken. Accidents happen, but hopefully they can be prevented if the students take care in their property.
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