A Kindle for Every Student

I came across an article in US News about a group looking to put e-textbooks in every hand of a student. It got me thinking...where is the future of textbooks in schools? If it is anything like newspapers and magazines, could textbooks be close to extinction?

I personally think it is only a matter of time before textbooks will be replaced in every state. Look at California for example, Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced the launch of the California Digital Textbooks Initiative. It will only start with Math and Science classes in high schools, but the goal is to completely replace every textbook with e-textbooks.

I give textbooks at least 3 good years before we are seeing them phased out. Many states are already starting to follow this model. Kids are raised in a digital world. Schools need to find ways to incorporate interaction and 21st century learning into the classroom, and you do this through technology. Kids are no longer learning and processing things the same way they did 10 or 20 years ago.

I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on e-textbooks? Are you in favor of e-textbooks replacing conventional textbooks?

To read the article "A Kindle for Every Student", please check it out by clicking here.

Cell Phones in the Classroom

Like it or not, the use of cell phones are only growing more popular. I didn't purchase my first cell phone until I got to college in 1998. The phone was a size of a walkie talkie and the screen was a tint greenish yellow color (picture dying grass as Winter nears). A lot has changed since then and I'm seeing more and more children of every age with their own cell phone.

So here we are today, a cell phone store on every corner and a cell phone tower practically on every building. As children spend more and more time on their cell phones, schools are faced to how to deal with this technology.

I came across an interesting article that highlights a Texas 5th grade classroom and how they are using cell phones to the teacher's advantage. I would encourage you to read the article and let me know your thoughts: "Mobile Technology Goes to School"

Should schools embrace this technology and use it as an affective instructional tool? Or should schools restrict cell phones and keep them at home? I want to hear from you!