I really enjoyed the article on e-books. I think we are living in a real transitional period between traditional texts and e-books. The size and weight of these devices is getting smaller and lighter. Just think of all the things you can do on a phone that even a few years ago weren’t available. New generations of students will expect to use technology. My 3 year old nephew knows how to use his father’s iphone and get into his games. I can only imagine that in two years when he starts school, he will expect to use technology on a regular basis. He might not even know or understand that he has that expectation but he will be so used to using technology that it is almost as if he will need it to learn.
I like the possibility of using e-books in the classroom. I think there is a lot of potential to customize a reading program without a lot of additional work for a teacher. In Digital Readers: The Next Chapter in E-Book Reading and Response, Lotta Larson looks at the potential use of e-books in the classroom. Ms. Larson states that
“because e-books can be presented in an individualized format, students with special needs (Ell, visually impaired, struggling readers) may benefit from the additional text available from the use of electronic texts."
My school has a nice reading room but imagine being able to access almost any text without having to have huge storage space. With a few clicks on the keyboard, a teacher could select texts to meet each student’s needs and interests. For young readers, it is especially important to select texts that are of interest to them so they want to continue to explore new books.
Another aspect of the e-books that makes them enjoyable is that readers can make themselves comfortable while they read. During my D.E.A.R. time, my students love to plop themselves on pillows around the room. When they are using the computer to access a program like Pair-It, they have to stay seated in a chair at the computer. The e-readers would allow them to have the same experience of finding a comfortable spot to enjoy their reading.
The downside to the e-books is that they could further highlight the disparity in resources in a school system. I can imagine that if in a few years e-books are available for the classroom, they will be found in the schools in the more affluent neighborhoods, at least at first. Hopefully, the cost will continue to come down as the technology improves so e-books can be made available to all students.
References:
Larson, L. The Reading Teacher, 6491) pp 15 - 22
Hey Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post! Reading your blog really got me thinking about e-books in the classroom again and how beneficial or unbeneficial they are. I too, see the potential that e-books can have in the classroom especially at an elementary or middle school level. They can really get students motivated, engaged, interested in reading and help students with special needs.
However, it makes me wonder whether it would have the same effect with older students in high school or even in college. I read an article from the Wall Street Journal, which talked about the use of e-books in the classroom and the mixed reviews from students. At Northwest Missouri State University e-books were used in a trial program for studying instead of hardback textbooks. After two weeks, dozens of the participants dropped out of the program complaining the e-texts were awkward and inconvenient and purchased the actual textbook instead. In another study, by the Student Public Interest Group, 75% of college students said they were prefer print to digital texts.
Having read this article it got me thinking whether or not e-books for high school and college level students are ineffective because they weren’t exposed to them when they were younger or if traditional textbooks are just a better way to go. Another point the article mentions is what happens when a new e-book debuts. Technology is constantly changing and constantly improving. It would be hard to replace everyone’s e-book reader for a new one with better applications and comprehension tools. Just a thought. Here’s a link to the article if you’re interested in checking it out.
Knutson, R., Fowler, G. (2009, July20). Book smarts? E-texts receive mixed reviews
from students. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203577304574277041750084938.html
Hi, Stephanie and Sophia:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blogs, I also have a comment to share. I personally believe that traditional books will never be replaced by e-books or other new literacies. I would have been very disappointed if I did not have a copy of the textbook for our reading class and had to rely on e-books, blogs, internet downloads and hand-outs to complete my learning.
I was very interested to hear from Sophia that college students did not like using an e-book for one class and said it was awkward and inconvenient. It is not cost-effective to be buying new e-books,adding new applications and/or comprehension tools. The issue of equity is ever constant, as well. Technology has its limitations, as do traditional books. I believe a balance must be achieved to maximize learning. Stephanie’s comment about her tech-savvy young relatives is the wave of the future. One of the tenets I have learned from our class is that today’s teachers must be skilled and adept at incorporating traditional and new literacies in their classrooms to maximize learning for all students and meet reading curriculum standards.
Hi Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteThis comment comes a bit late, but I like how you pointed out the advantage of children reading in a comfortable setting and position. While the children should be exposed to both efferent and aesthetic reading, it is during the reading instructional block that children are given opportunities to read materials of their choice. Aesthetic reading takes into account reader factors. On toddkelly's blog, he notes that on state mandated assessments "are more efferent than aesthetically based." Because it is our job as teachers to produce life-long learners and readers, we must provide ample ways in which our students can develop a love for reading through independent aesthetic reading. One way to do this is certainly through the use of customized, portable e-books. I appreciate your statement of the pros and cons of the use of e-books in the school system, although I wonder if e-books may be cheaper and more affordable than paper back books. That might even be a plus for needy schools.
toddkelly (2010, Feb 13). Efferent vs. aesthetic reading [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://samplereality.com/gmu/engl610/2010/02/13/efferent-vs-aesthetic-reading/