Teachers say students learn better from the devices, even multitasking.
For generations, school meant books -- lots of books. But not anymore. Around the country, from high school to grad school, textbooks are getting harder to find. Technology has made the library something that can fit into the palm of your hand.
Cushing Academy, a private school outside Boston, is dismantling its library altogether, giving away 20,000. Headmaster James Tracy said the decision was simple. "We decided that we can best use our resources if we decided to go with e-books and e-resources," he said.
Empire High School, a public school in Tucson, Ariz., is another textbook-free zone. Students there are given laptops on the first day of school instead of a pile of heavy books.
But Monticello High School in Virginia has launched an even lighter experiment in digital learning. A handful of classes are trying out the iPod Touch as a primary learning tool. English teacher Mae Craddock said she structures many of her lessons around the new technology, instructing students to research, read and write on their handheld devices. It is something that she says came naturally to them. "They took right away to it," she told ABC News. "There was no adaptation necessary."
Laptops and iPods cost money, of course, but so do textbooks; some can run a couple hundred dollars each. And because there is so much free educational material online, high-tech can sometimes mean low-cost.
There is another strike against traditional textbooks: They go out of date, sometimes within a year or so, and replacing them can cost a school district hundreds of thousands of dollars. But with new technology like e-books or handheld devices, updates can happen instantaneously.
Students at Monticello High School leap at the chance to use the iPod touches for schoolwork. They say it's quick, far more convenient than big textbooks -- and there is that "cool" factor.
But using Web-enabled devices in the classroom introduces a whole host of other issues. Sure, students are supposed to use the iPods for their class projects, but who will be the wiser if they shoot off an email or a tweet to their friends, or just surf the Web aimlessly instead of doing their work?
Craddock said that Monticello blocks many of the most popular social networking sites, but she encourages students to use Twitter during class to broadcast answers to questions.
All these distractions can also provide a useful lesson in how to navigate through a world where we're inundated with media and information all day long, she said. "They're multi-taskers -- way better than we are," she said. "It's something that people do in everyday life and that's a skill they need to know."
Not everyone is keen on the new technology, especially graduate students in their late 20s and early 30s who can't get used to the idea of reading assignments off a small device.
Emily Cherry, a first-year student at Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, is one of dozens of students selected to take part in a pilot program. Instead of textbooks and photocopied case studies, students are issued their own Kindle, the e-reader from Amazon, at the beginning of the year.
"For me it's just harder to digest. I'm much more of a visual person and I can recall where I read something on each page. And it's a little harder for me on the Kindle," she said. "I'm trying my hardest to embrace it, but I'm not sure I'm totally there yet."
While graduate schools are trying to make students more comfortable with the digital classroom of the future, high schools and even elementary schools are playing catch-up to students who already seem to have this kind of technology built into their DNA. And education experts say there's no turning back.
David Rose, a lecturer at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, said schools simply can't afford to rely on traditional textbooks because the social costs are too high.
"If we continue to prepare kids for their past, that's very expensive," he told ABC News, "Their future is largely going to be in new media. And textbooks are no longer preparing them for that future."
/groups/lausd/search/index.rss?tag=hotlist/groups/lausd/search/?tag=hotWhat’s HotHotListHot!?tag=hot18/groups/lausd/sidebar/HotListupdated why ilife documentdavedouglas2010-02-24 21:36:43+00:002010-02-24 21:36:43updated16updated macbook flyerdavedouglas2010-02-24 21:34:21+00:002010-02-24 21:34:21updated15davedouglas2010-01-13 21:58:53+00:002010-01-13 21:58:53updated14Added tag - hotdavedouglas2010-01-13 21:58:52+00:002010-01-13 21:58:52addTag13added link per mhoy 4-3-09davedouglas2009-04-06 15:22:48+00:002009-04-06 15:22:48updated12davedouglas2009-04-03 23:23:53+00:002009-04-03 23:23:53updated11davedouglas2009-04-03 23:23:06+00:002009-04-03 23:23:06updated10davedouglas2009-04-03 23:21:14+00:002009-04-03 23:21:14updated9davedouglas2009-04-03 23:20:16+00:002009-04-03 23:20:16updated8davedouglas2009-04-03 23:19:56+00:002009-04-03 23:19:56updated7davedouglas2009-04-03 22:48:42+00:002009-04-03 22:48:42updated6davedouglas2009-04-03 22:47:35+00:002009-04-03 22:47:35updated5davedouglas2009-04-03 22:46:53+00:002009-04-03 22:46:53updated4davedouglas2009-04-03 22:45:21+00:002009-04-03 22:45:21updated3davedouglas2009-04-03 22:43:15+00:002009-04-03 22:43:15updated2First additiondavedouglas2009-04-03 19:48:03+00:002009-04-03 19:48:03created1wiki2010-02-24T21:36:43+00:00groups/lausd/wiki/23468FalseWhy Apple in Education?/groups/lausd/wiki/23468/Why_Apple_in_Education.htmlDave Douglas16 updatesWhy Apple in Education?
For decades, Apple has helped to simplify technology, empower educators, and inspire students. Supporting the best in education philosophy, ...Falsedavedouglas2010-02-24T21:36:43+00:00davedouglas2010-02-04 19:55:42+00:002010-02-04 19:55:42updated12Added tag - hotdavedouglas2010-02-04 19:55:40+00:002010-02-04 19:55:40addTag11davedouglas2010-02-04 19:50:26+00:002010-02-04 19:50:26updated10davedouglas2010-02-04 19:49:17+00:002010-02-04 19:49:17updated9davedouglas2010-02-04 19:46:33+00:002010-02-04 19:46:33updated8davedouglas2010-02-04 19:45:05+00:002010-02-04 19:45:05updated7davedouglas2010-02-04 19:44:04+00:002010-02-04 19:44:04updated6davedouglas2010-02-04 19:43:01+00:002010-02-04 19:43:01updated5Added tag - eventsdavedouglas2010-02-04 19:42:58+00:002010-02-04 19:42:58addTag4Added tag - seminardavedouglas2010-02-04 19:42:56+00:002010-02-04 19:42:56addTag3davedouglas2010-02-04 19:42:17+00:002010-02-04 19:42:17updated2First createddavedouglas2010-02-04 19:39:42+00:002010-02-04 19:39:42created1weblog2010-02-04T19:55:42+00:00groups/lausd/weblog/984a6FalseWikis and Blogs in Education Seminar/groups/lausd/weblog/984a6/Wikis_and_Blogs_in_Education_Seminar.htmlDave Douglas12 updatesWikis and Blogs in Education Seminar
[wiki.jpg]
Imagine having a web-based, searchable, content resource library of what is working on your campus. Apple's wiki server provides an in...Falsedavedouglas2010-02-04T19:55:42+00:00Added tag - hotdavedouglas2010-01-29 17:12:42+00:002010-01-29 17:12:42addTag6davedouglas2010-01-29 17:12:21+00:002010-01-29 17:12:21updated5davedouglas2010-01-29 17:10:55+00:002010-01-29 17:10:55updated4davedouglas2010-01-29 17:09:27+00:002010-01-29 17:09:27updated3Added tag - seminardavedouglas2010-01-29 17:09:26+00:002010-01-29 17:09:26addTag2First createddavedouglas2010-01-29 17:04:20+00:002010-01-29 17:04:20created1weblog2010-01-29T17:12:21+00:00groups/lausd/weblog/e2e37False1:1 & iPod touch visit - Oswalt Academy, Roland USD/groups/lausd/weblog/e2e37/11__iPod_touch_visit__Oswalt_Academy_Roland_USD.htmlDave Douglas6 updates1:1 & iPod touch visit - Oswalt Academy, Roland USD
Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century
There is a way to bridge the digital divide. A way to engage stu- dents and make education r...Falsedavedouglas2010-01-29T17:12:21+00:00Added tag - hotdavedouglas2010-01-29 17:12:42+00:002010-01-29 17:12:42addTag6davedouglas2010-01-29 17:12:21+00:002010-01-29 17:12:21updated5davedouglas2010-01-29 17:10:55+00:002010-01-29 17:10:55updated4davedouglas2010-01-29 17:09:27+00:002010-01-29 17:09:27updated3Added tag - seminardavedouglas2010-01-29 17:09:26+00:002010-01-29 17:09:26addTag2First createddavedouglas2010-01-29 17:04:20+00:002010-01-29 17:04:20created1weblog2010-01-29T17:12:21+00:00groups/lausd/weblog/e2e37False1:1 & iPod touch visit - Oswalt Academy, Roland USD/groups/lausd/weblog/e2e37/11__iPod_touch_visit__Oswalt_Academy_Roland_USD.htmlDave Douglas6 updates1:1 & iPod touch visit - Oswalt Academy, Roland USD
Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century
There is a way to bridge the digital divide. A way to engage stu- dents and make education r...Falsedavedouglas2010-01-29T17:12:21+00:00joshuarude2010-01-14 18:49:58+00:002010-01-14 18:49:58updated29Added tag - hotjoshuarude2010-01-14 18:49:56+00:002010-01-14 18:49:56addTag28joshuarude2010-01-14 18:49:52+00:002010-01-14 18:49:52updated27Removed tag - hotdavedouglas2010-01-14 18:49:51+00:002010-01-14 18:49:51removeTag26davedouglas2010-01-13 22:05:04+00:002010-01-13 22:05:04updated25Added tag - hotdavedouglas2010-01-13 22:05:03+00:002010-01-13 22:05:03addTag24added PO lookup to listdavedouglas2009-05-07 19:44:57+00:002009-05-07 19:44:57updated23added warranty lookupdavedouglas2009-05-07 19:43:00+00:002009-05-07 19:43:00updated22davedouglas2009-04-07 22:57:24+00:002009-04-07 22:57:24updated21added field matrixdavedouglas2009-04-07 22:38:49+00:002009-04-07 22:38:49updated20added replacement media infodavedouglas2009-03-23 18:03:13+00:002009-03-23 18:03:13updated19added link to AppleCare Software supportdavedouglas2008-11-17 22:21:57+00:002008-11-17 22:21:57updated18added phone tree for LAUSD Service deskdavedouglas2008-11-04 17:38:26+00:002008-11-04 17:38:26updated17added lost sn# replacement infodavedouglas2008-11-04 17:33:05+00:002008-11-04 17:33:05updated16added bretford cart supportdavedouglas2008-10-14 23:53:07+00:002008-10-14 23:53:07updated15davedouglas2008-04-02 02:59:13+00:002008-04-02 02:59:13updated14davedouglas2008-01-03 22:43:25+00:002008-01-03 22:43:25updated13davedouglas2007-12-21 22:16:13+00:002007-12-21 22:16:13updated12Removed tag - maindavedouglas2007-12-21 22:16:12+00:002007-12-21 22:16:12removeTag11Added tag - maindavedouglas2007-12-21 22:15:14+00:002007-12-21 22:15:14addTag10refined 1davedouglas2007-12-21 20:05:47+00:002007-12-21 20:05:47updated9spacingdavedouglas2007-12-21 18:55:42+00:002007-12-21 18:55:42updated8added linkdavedouglas2007-12-21 18:55:19+00:002007-12-21 18:55:19updated7added search comment and items 3 &4davedouglas2007-12-21 18:53:41+00:002007-12-21 18:53:41updated6added Dave and Carlosdavedouglas2007-12-21 18:47:21+00:002007-12-21 18:47:21updated5davedouglas2007-12-21 18:38:35+00:002007-12-21 18:38:35updated4Added tag - supportdavedouglas2007-12-21 18:30:32+00:002007-12-21 18:30:32addTag3basic copy from Applela.comdavedouglas2007-12-21 18:30:32+00:002007-12-21 18:30:32updated2First additiondavedouglas2007-12-21 18:28:41+00:002007-12-21 18:28:41created1wiki2010-01-14T18:49:58+00:00groups/lausd/wiki/a721aFalseTechnical Support/groups/lausd/wiki/a721a/Technical_Support.htmlJoshua Rude29 updatesTechnical Support
We want everyone in LAUSD to be able to get the most out of their Apple technology. We're sorry if you are having trouble and would like to correc...Falsejoshuarude2010-01-14T18:49:58+00:00hot/groups/lausd/search/index.rss?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomelist/groups/lausd/search/?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomeRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdates?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcome0/groups/lausd/sidebar/RecentChangesListmodifiedDateallRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdateswiki/welcomeNo recent changes.reverse5searchlist/groups/lausd/calendar/Upcoming EventsUpcomingEventsListEvents1Getting events…
lausd.apple.com
Comments