This
is a scenario that I am sure many can identify with: back in middle and high school,
on a near daily basis, my backpack would be full to the point where I literally
could fit nothing else in there. I had
to bring every single textbook and workbook of mine to school and back every
day, my back would be in severe pain on the walk home, and at least once a
year, my parents would be forced to buy me a new backpack because mine ripped
open. Does this sound familiar? Well, thankfully, with our constantly evolving
technology, the days of kids carrying a backpack that matched their body weight
now seem to be over. That is because of the
creation of electronic textbooks, or e-books for short.
This
is something that can apply to all majors, but considering Social Studies
textbooks tend to be massive this is definitely most applicable here. While I do still greatly enjoy reading from
an actual book, one cannot deny the convenience that e-books provide. Hundreds of books can be available at the
click of a button on a Kindle, iPad and iPhone.
It is more convenient for students to carry around one small object that
can contain a great amount of books than it is to carry around hardcopies of
the books. If someone was in need of a
passage from a specific book, instead of searching their shelf or house for it,
they can simply search for it on whatever device they may be using. It can be very time and cost-efficient, and
can be a benefit to the students. While
the initial cost of purchasing a tablet or any device that can hold e-books may
be somewhat high, in time it is something that will pay for itself.
Electronic
textbooks are more convenient for the students than carrying every individual
book around, as they have been forced to do for many years. Over time it can be cost-efficient, and it is
something that I believe will become more and more frequently seen in the
future.
Ian,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you brought this topic up because I definitely have to agree. Even though I one day will fear when novels will no longer be available to give out for kids and instead they have Ebooks, I think textbooks should be digital. Perhaps they can have the actual massive book at school and the online version accessible at home. This would definitely eliminate the weight that students have to carry on their backs. I remember having the same issue as you. My book-bag was always filled with books. So I definitely agree that online versions should be available for students to use for homework.
Yes, I agree. I mean paperback books are old fashion. In this generation, schools should apply electronic textbooks, where students can carry the information with them and it might be cheaper for teachers to purchases the book as well.
ReplyDeleteHello Ian,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. As much as I love the feel and smell of a book there are so many benefits to electronic books. I have a Kindle and it is easy to transport, cheap and you can highlight and take notes better than you can in a physical book. I know many public schools are beginning to make E-books available, or books online available and I think it will benefit education greatly.
-Peter
E-books are a wonderful way to alleviate the "heavy backpack" burden that so many middle school and high school students have to lug around everyday. These e-books are the answer to that problem. In addition, those textbooks are constantly getting pricier and pricier whereas the e-books are usually at a lower price (sometimes still expensive however). Finally, I agree, they will be used more in the future.
ReplyDelete