My readings in Google Reader this week had a recurring theme: money; thus, the images I have chosen. The state of the economy seems to deteriorate daily. The impact on educational programs, and especially expensive educational technology programs, is strongly felt. This is worrisome for anyone who cares about the future of our country and its children. As excited as I become about the potential for the utilization of all sorts of new-fangled technological tools in education, it is easy to become discouraged about the reality of the current situation.
The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article from eSchool News. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59257 Apparently the federal stimulus money is going to help “staunch the bleeding,” but it simply is not going to be enough to offset drastic cuts to K-12 education. Another article contains what may be some better news: as a cost-cutting measure, Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing digital textbooks for California. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59180 I like this quote: “In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google, and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California's students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday.”
Now it is rare for me to agree with Governor Schwarzenegger on anything, but I really could get behind this proposal. So for PLN #1, I will focus on digital textbooks as a technology I could see having an impact on what I do as a teacher. This topic appears in another of my Google Reader feeds, from a blog called “2¢ worth” (there’s that currency again), written by David Warlick, who spoke to a group of Texas School Board members. http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1773 One of his suggestions is that education leaders “…seize ‘almost’ every opportunity to replace books with digital content (ouch).” I guess the “ouch” means that it is going to hurt, as in cost a lot. But our Governor feels that it will actually save money.
Whether it saves money or not, in my opinion it is time for textbooks to become digital. I already use a digital version of my Social Studies and Science texts with my students, but money was still spent for a printed version of both. This works out nicely when we use the textbook in class, and the students can go online at home to access the same material. But the superiority of the digital version is instantly apparent to the students. It has interactive multimedia features that are far more engaging. If they have a computer at home, their backpacks are lighter when I assign homework in those subjects. The whole thing makes them wonder why their literature and math textbooks are not available in digital form. I have been telling them “someday soon.” Now I will tell them the Governator is behind them 100%.
Deborah Lawson/PLN#1/EDTEC 570/Summer 2009
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