Digital Textbooks Are Easier For Schools

Thesis: Students should be knowledgeable about the problem of textbooks being too expensive to purchase, therefore they should take a stand and enforce a new plan to reduce the cost of textbooks for college courses.

One of the drawbacks mentioned in the article “Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom,” is that technology is very expensive, requires ongoing support and constant upgrades, and is not as cost effective as other investments in education (Valdez 21). Some critics think technology is a waste of scarce resources in education (Valdez 22), because overspending in technology can leave inadequate funds for other pressing needs in education. The funds invested in new technologies can instead be invested in other ways such as arts, science laboratories and shops that allow for more hands-on learning (Valdez 21). Well balanced funding for all essential elements in education is an important strategy to follow in the reality of scarce resources in education.

Today, we have advantaged schools and disadvantaged schools. Due to so many biases in the educational sector today, some schools are well equipped with the right resources and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Usually, these learning institutions are located in the rich neighborhoods or are privately owned by individuals. The opposite is the case for schools that are located outside this neighborhood. They are branded as poor schools, and they are left with poor infrastructure with less resources and sub-standard education because there are not enough teachers. Technology in these kinds of schools is too obsolete for students to benefit from it. The future of education depends on the responses or support from the government. The government needs to step in and improve the current state of our schools and equip them to increase the quality of education. Government needs to step up the need for teachers and encourage teachers in order to solve the problem of attrition rate in the public schools. The future of education in the United States of America is bright, but this entire problem, especially the attrition rate, will become a stumbling block to the growth of education. The budget allocated to the department of education should be increased enough for the school district to be able to counter the problem of attritional rate between teachers. The government should ensure all technology and infrastructures are up to date. The teacher-to-student ratio has to be brought down to a very reasonable figure by employing more teachers and building new classes. Technology is rapidly increasing and changing so e –learning should be incorporated into school curriculum to ensure future education is secured in the area of online studies. E-learning should be introduced into school curriculum in such a way that students will be able

Increasing funding in schools that are in underserved areas is important because education is the main resource through which we can empower and encourage children to build a successful future for themselves. In a sense, money can buy a better academic education (Ryan 124). For my experience as a tutor at Central High School, I have noticed how the lack of textbooks prevents me from trying to

Many schools have switched from using paper textbooks to iPads or chromebooks, which allow students to access online textbooks. But is this a good change? There are many factors that need to be put into consideration, including the age group of a kids receiving the technology, the classes this tool can be used for, and the children’s ability to interact with others.

Imagine a day when youngsters would leave for school carrying nothing more than an electronic device weighing less than one pound. The advent and growing popularity of electronic textbooks may make this a reality sooner rather than later. No more students trudging around with 20 pound backpacks strapped to their backs. No more lockers jammed with textbooks and notebooks. The benefits of transitioning to e-textbooks are many and provide advantages for both students and educators.

Marc Presnky argues that college should ban the use of physical books to encourage the use of electronic books. He gives three reasons to support his argument. The author of the article “College Should Mandate That All Textbooks Be Digitized” states three main advantages of having a bookless higher education. He believes that society should move beyond “physical books of the past” in order to move “education into the future” (Presnky). By employing the use of digitized books, Presnky believes that people will have features not quickly available to physical books such as comments or analysis about a book. Lastly, Presnky believes the biggest advantage of fully transitioning to e-books is the liberation of ideas from printed pages. He thinks

Elite schools receive funding for their schools that allows them to provide adequate access to technology to all their students. Unlike elite schools, lack of funding is an issue that increasingly plaguing urban schools and impacting the education those students receive. The buildings are in need of repairs and there is limited about of school staffs. The classroom space remains the same while the number of students per class increases. As a result, their resources such as textbooks to provide for their students are limited. Students utilize old textbooks that are in unacceptable condition and are deprived from receiving or having access to resources and technology. The access to valuable resources put students in a better position for post secondary plans. Urban schools are at risk for low student achievement due to their lack of funding. The unequal quality of education

With the rampant year over year releases and innovations in the consumer sector, computers and tablets are cheaper than ever. While one may argue that devices still remain more expensive than a simple notepad and pencil, students opting not to use a computer will accrue incrementally more costs for notebooks and/or paper, binders, the printing of class notes, and hard copy textbooks for each course. With PDF and online textbooks now available, at substantially lower costs, tech savvy students have additional cost and use advantages. Further, digital resources permit publishers to regularly update e-textbook forms. This is relevant for schools that utilize one text for multiple years and better ensures accuracy and currency. Beyond the economic benefits, computers have other practical advantages. They significantly reduce the amount of weight students carry in knapsacks, improve ergonomics, and ameliorate possible future absenteeism and medical costs due to back injury. Finally, reduced paper consumption and its footprint are more environmentally friendly and consistent with the University of Toronto’s sustainability

Students can save a whole lot of time by not waiting in bookstore lines, and save a lot of money by using digital textbooks, often called e-books. The State Law requires digital college textbooks by 2020, according to Jean Cowden Moore, ( Ventura County Star ) 11 Jan. 2010. The state law, Senate Bill 48, says any individual or company selling textbooks to the University of California, California State University or private colleges must make them available electronically by 2020, “ to the extent practicable.” Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-San Jose, authored the law, saying digital textbooks are the future of the market and can significantly reduce costs for students.

In the article, “Textbooks Enter the Digital Era” A university student Jason Turgeon, realized there had to be a cheaper way to acquire textbooks. So in 2005 he started textbookrevolution.org., which links students with free digital textbooks on the Web. Turgeon then explains what the textbooks of the future may look

Chapman, Gary. "Digital Nation: Push to Trade Class Textbooks For Laptop PCS Is A Misuse Of Technology." Teacher Librarian 26.1 (1998): n. pag. Education Research Complete. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

The essay “What are the Enablers and Barriers to Successful Adoption and Commercialization of Digital Textbooks,” discusses the many benefits and drawback of transitioning to digital textbooks. The essay asserts that digital textbooks are on the rise and that there is a good probability they will overtake printed textbooks

Technology has made great strides in the past 20 years. It plays a very important role in our lives today and even plays a critical role in the way students learn all over the world. Unfortunately, students now rely on technology instead of learning key fundamentals. Technology has replaced the need to learn and most answers are just a google search away. Technology has also become expensive and lower socioeconomic school districts have found affording the newest technology difficult because of their lack of funding. Technology is a great learning tool when used appropriately. The lower socioeconomic school falls behind in the expanding frontier of technology in the classroom because they cannot afford it compared to their counterparts and results in a gap in education. The development of technology in the classroom has caused students to fail the learning of fundamentals and has exploited lower socioeconomic school districts.

To start off, schools need to realize the amount they can save in the long run by utilizing technology and lean away from traditional, old fashioned, hard cover books. When books become outdated and used, schools have to spend endless amounts to replace them. To avoid this, schools can take the initiate and work proactively and replace hard cover books with electronics to avoid unnecessary expenses. An example of this occurred at Empire High School which recently made a switch from textbooks even though, “it wasn’t because of a funding crisis.” (Source A) Empire High School shows just how well technology can work. Not only does technology help in saving necessary funding, it adds a sure convenience factor to the students and teachers by not having to drag around large and expensive textbooks.