It is hard to determine how much schools would save if they replaced textbooks with iPads. It depends on how much damage textbooks sustain versus iPads, but the iPads would at least have all the reading material on it. Personally, it is much easier on my eyes to read from a book.
As to if a textbook really improves student leaning, it depends on the subject and the textbook writer. For hands on subjects like chemistry, the arts, and physical education, a book becomes encumbersome and too wordy. Sometimes textbooks are more of an advertisement rather than a scholarly resource. "A Textbook Example of What's Wrong with Education" by Tamim Ansary Link to the article here is a good explanation of this publishing scheme.Like the article "No Books, No Problem: Teaching Without a Textbook" by Geoff Ruth Link to the article here, Tamim Ansary is complaining about the general data that is oversimplified and often useless in textbooks. I believe that iPads or some form of technology should be used in the classroom, but it does not hurt to have a few paper copies of literature books available for one's perusal.
I agree! I'm not against books! We should have fine literature in the classroom! Like the article you linked to made clear, textbooks are more about making money than educating children!
ReplyDelete