# Uses for e-readers in a school setting?



## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

A couple of things got my attention this week in regards to e-readers in a school setting. In one of my college biology classes, the professor was passing out copies of an article we're supposed to summarize.  One of the students told her he didn't need a copy because he already downloaded it to his Nook.  Very cool.  No paper wasted and in full color.  I'd love to see the day that textbooks could just be downloaded to an e-reader.  Hardcopies of textbooks are very expensive and hefty (my biology book weighs almost 8 lbs!).  

A teacher friend of mine recently announced that her school had applied for a grant and received 25 iPads for the classroom.  Today she had a meeting to discuss ways to use them.

Next year I hope to return to teaching full time and since it has been, ahem, a few years since I stood in front of a classroom, I'm trying to keep up with the times.  What are some ways that some of you have seen e-readers used in the classroom?  What are the benefits or limitations (aside from cost) of using them?


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## caracara (May 23, 2010)

Money is a big factor, as is the internet connection I think.  Handing a kid something with 3G, or even wi-fi access at school is a dangerous thing.
My school hasn't done anything with this new technology.  Also not that many textbooks are available on Kindle.

Personally I love being able to read the assigned books on Libby. I don't have to deal with the broken down copies, and the dictionary feature, comes in really handy.


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## Jen Bluekissed (Jan 22, 2011)

I would think Kindles would be great for kids/teenagers/college students with visual impairments.  Being able to make the text bigger would be a huge thing.  Maybe disabling the wi-fi and/or 3G and then making them available on an as needed basis would be cool. 

If not school provided, I would think that many parents have jumped on this bandwagon if they have children who would benefit from the larger text.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

According to the news, Georgia is looking seriously at ditching textbooks and getting all students an iPad! Apple made them a "too good to turn down" type deal.

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2011/02/01/tommie-williams-state-considering-ipads-for-students/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway

Apparently Apple plans to assimilate students into the fruity empire starting at a very young age....


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## shalym (Sep 1, 2010)

I'm confused.  There was an ADL lawsuit against a university last year because they tried to use Kindles in one classroom.  The lawsuit stated that because the menus were not usable by a visually impaired person, they couldn't be used in a school environment.  How are they getting past this with the iPads?  iPads are even less friendly to the visually impaired.

Shari


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## luvmykindle3 (Dec 5, 2010)

I teach middle school kids, and I have been experimenting with the Sony Pocket ereader. Its a little more durable, and the kids enjoy taking turns reading from it. It does not have an internet connection, so that prevents them from surfing. Its really cool.

I have an Ipad, and I can not imagine using that in K-12, too many distractions for them, unless there is a way to monitor them.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

I think text book companies will really drag their feet on the idea of ebooks. They charge ridiculous amounts of money for textbooks and put out new editions every few years, while not necessarily making huge changes. A digital copy doesn't wear out, and new information could easily be downloaded. They stand to lose a lot of money from that proposition.

I teach high school English, and some of my kids have used their ereaders for reading some of the classics, like _Heart of Darkness_ by Joseph Conrad. They could find it for free, and preferred it over the paperbacks I had to give them. They also liked the search function. It was easy to find out how many times Conrad uses the word "inscrutable" for instance.


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