Portions excerpted from “Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K-12 Schools?” via http://tablets-textbooks.procon.org/
V.
Publishing for the K-12 school market is an $8 billion industry, with three companies - McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - capturing about 85% of this market. Tablets are a $72 billion industry with 42% of US adults owning a tablet. As tablets have become more prevalent, a new debate has formed over whether K-12 school districts should switch from print textbooks to digital textbooks on tablets and e-readers.
Proponents of tablets say that they are supported by most teachers and students, are much lighter than print textbooks, and improve standardized test scores. They say that tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks, save the environment by lowering the amount of printing, increase student interactivity and creativity, and that digital textbooks are cheaper than print textbooks.
Opponents of tablets say that they are expensive, too distracting for students, easy to break, and costly/time-consuming to fix. They say that tablets contribute to eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision, increase the excuses available for students not doing their homework, require costly Wi-Fi networks, and become quickly outdated as new technologies are released.
What are your thoughts? Should we switch to tablets for instruction, or should we keep textbooks? Use textual evidence from the article above and the stats below to support your statements. Do NOT use personal experience! Anecdotal evidence is not strong or valid support for your perspective. Use the S-E-E response format to help you get started.
Here are some stats on the pros and cons of using tablets v. textbooks to help you support your statement.
Pros:
1. Tablets help students learn more material faster. Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%, according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association
2. Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device, plus homework, quizzes, and other files, eliminating the need for physical storage of books and classroom materials. The average tablet contains anywhere from 8 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of storage space. On the Amazon Kindle Fire, for instance, 1,000 books take up one GB of space.
3. Print textbooks are heavy and cause injuries, while a tablet only weighs 1-2 pounds. Pediatricians and chiropractors recommend that students carry less than 15% of their body weight in a backpack, but the combined average weight of textbooks in History, Mathematics, Science, and Reading/Language Arts exceeds this percentage at nearly all grade levels from 1-12. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, during the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids, aged 5 to 18, were treated for backpack-related injuries.
Cons:
1. Many students do not have sufficient home internet bandwidth to use tablets. Students "need home broadband to access digital content and to complete Internet based homework," according to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, but about a third of Americans – 100 million people – do not have broadband internet at home. A 2010 FCC survey found that nearly 80% of K-12 schools reported broadband connections that were "inadequate to meet their current needs.
2. People who read print text comprehend more, remember more, and learn more than those who read digital text. The brain interprets printed and digital text in different ways, and people generally read digital text 20-30% slower than print. According to Pulitzer Prize winning technology writer Nicholas Carr, peer-reviewed studies show that reading hyper-linked text may increase the brain's "cognitive load," lowering the ability to process, store, and retain information, or "translate the new material into conceptual knowledge."
3. Tablets have too many distractions for classroom use. Students may pay attention to apps, email, games, and websites instead of their teachers. 87% of K-12 teachers believe that "today’s digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans." Four-fifths of students aged 8 - 18 multitask while using digital media.
I am going to start this off with an example of how to comment. If you want to do your own research on the topic to find further evidence, you can do so!
ReplyDeleteUsing tablets in schools would greatly alter the way we learn and teach. I think it would benefit students and schools, both. Downloading e-books rather than buying hundreds of class sets will save cash-strapped schools much needed dollars. According to Amazon, e-books cost about 20% less than print books (hint: that was evidence from the text to support my assertion). With that extra money, schools can update old technology, repair crumbling structures, and ensure each student has a healthy breakfast and lunch.
Another way tablets would help students is through building 21st century digital citizenship skills. The use of technology and the internet is now a vital part of nearly every profession, and our students need to be prepared for college and careers. For example, an article in TIME Magazine stated that the fastest growing careers for the 21st Century all require knowledge of technology. Our students deserve every opportunity for success; therefore, tablets are the textbooks of the future!
Having tablets in schools would change the way students and teachers learn and teach. Tablets would have a great affect on the weight of student's backpacks. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, during 2011-12 over 13,700 children had backpack related injuries. Tablets also hold many different books and textbooks in very little GB of space and this also saves paper. Homework, tests, and quizzes can be done on one device, eliminating the need for a class set of textbooks.
ReplyDeleteAnother way tablets will affect schools is that students learn more material faster. According to the US Department of Education, students learn 30-80% faster with technology. Tablets also hold many technological features that cannot be found in a printed textbook. With many different features like a built in dictionary, search functions, interactive diagrams, and videos tablets will be useful when learning. I think tablets will help the students of the world with their education.
I think that we should keep textbooks and not use tablets for school. I say this because it would already cost a lot of money to buy the tablets to use and if they break then you would have to spend even more money to fix them. Plus if you have an assignment on your tablet and it breaks, your in trouble. Also using a tablet after awhile might give you eyestrain,headaches, or make you have blurred vision. When the teacher is teaching, the students might not be paying any attention because they are busy looking or playing apps, they might be on other website, or they are looking at their emails. Anyway the good things about the tablets. They make it where you don't have to carry heavy textbooks that could give you back injuries.
ReplyDeleteWe should stick to textbooks for school work instead of tablets. Textbooks don't cost as much money as the tablets. Students won't get distracted by websites, games, or apps since there are none on a textbook. Also they don't give you headaches, eyestrain, or blurry vision afterwards. Lastly, when you read digital text you read 20-30% slower than if you read printed text, which might be helpful for something.
-Taylor S.
We should switch to tablets because it will make tasks quicker and easier for students. According to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association, "Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%"(Pros #1). This will save time and allow students to comprehend content easier. In addition, using tablets will keep students organized. Tablets can store textbooks, homework, quizzes, and other files such as notes all in one device.
ReplyDeleteSince a tablet can store all of a students various files all in one, it will cut down the weight of a students backpack. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, "During the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids, aged 5 to 18, were treated for backpack-related injuries" (Pros #3). Pediatricians and chiropractors recommend carrying only 15% of your body weight. Yet the weight of the textbooks of the four major subjects alone exceed the recommened limit. The answer to this controversy is a tablet that weighs around 1-2 pounds. Tablets are the key to a healthier, safer, faster, and all around better education.
Tablets are the answer to make are schools and districts more "Tech-Savy." Tablets are the new "Thing" in technology, and are already out-selling text books. In a few years, textbooks will probably be used anyways, so why not change to them sooner, to make the transition easier for the students, and teachers?
ReplyDeleteTextbooks are alot heavier, bigger, and expensive than tablets. Text books weigh around 4 pounds on average, and a tablet can weigh less than half of that for all the school subjects. A tablet costs around $100-$200 when a single textbook is around $80-$120. This would be easier for schools and make it easier on students without having to lug all the textbooks around. Tablets are the future of our education, so why not the present?
I like Taylor's point that apps and games on tablets can easily distract students. How might that impact our success at reaching a learning objective? On the other hand, Andrew's point that students can reach a learning objective faster using a tablet is also important to consider. Good use of textual evidence, by the way, Andrew. Thank you for using quotation marks and citations.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, perhaps the solution is to block apps and game content for all devices that are meant for schoolwork? What do you think?
Although blocking apps and game content is a good solution to the problem, it is not necessarily efficient. Teachers and schools would have to find a way to block game content in school only. Even if teachers did block school content, it would not stop students from cheating on tests by looking things up on the internet. I assume, though I may not be correct, that teachers should not block off all internet access, as it is important for research. There are goods and bads to your solution...and already being on the textbook's side I disagree.
Delete-Jun H.
Great point, Jun! I would be interested to see if any of our classmates can come up with a workable solution to these problems. Great discussion!
DeleteUsing tablets in school could greatly change leaning for both students and teachers. Tablets could greatly help students by one improving test scores and by improving interactivity and creativity with students. According to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association, "Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a leaning objective by 30-80%"(Pros 1). This show that it would save time and let students understand the content much easier. Also digital textbooks are cheaper than print textbooks.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention, a tablet could reduce the amount students carry by storing textbooks and homework in it. In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says "during the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids, aged 5 to 18, were treated for backpack-related injuries" (pros 3). Also pediatricians and chiropractors recommend that students carry less than 15% of their body weight in a backpack however, the weight of the textbooks for the four major subjects clearly surpasses the limit. But a tablet can solve this by holding all of this and then some and only weight around 1-2 pounds. Overall, tablets maybe the key to a better learning experience for both students and teachers alike.
Heavy backpacks are a nuisance. It's a really important consideration. Nice reasoned argument, Jaime
DeleteI think that we should keep textbooks and refrain from using tablets at school. Although textbooks can sometimes lead to aching backs, tablets introduce students to a wider variety of health problems including failing eyesight caused by the radiation given off of the device, and according to the New York Times, the "adverse health impacts from making one e-reader are estimated to be 70 times greater than those from making a single book." Not only do tablets increase the amount of health problems, they also shift the focus of learning from the teacher and to the device. The reason students go to school is to learn from their teachers, and not from the glowing thing in front of them. Tablets also inflicts damage on the environment—Pro-Con.org says that, "One tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of minerals, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide." Making a single textbook only emits one of a hundredth of greenhouse gasses.
ReplyDeleteTablets are also much more expensive than textbooks, and are more vulnerable to theft than textbooks. Theft of internet and technological devices have cost America more than $30 billion. Unlike the tablets, textbooks do not have the ability to freeze, crash, or pick up a virus. Tablets are easily outdated—APPLE produces a new iPad or iPhone every year and a half, and the older versions are soon outdated after production of the newer versions. Students and schools alike do not have the money to constantly keep purchasing these devices.
Tablets also allow students to easily cheat or “cut corners” during tests and quizzes. Students can easily look up answers and explanations using Google, Bing, MSN, and other search queries. Many Americans do not have the internet or broadband for their devices. It is costly and as a matter of fact, a third of Americans do not have access to the internet. Even teachers disapprove of replacing textbooks with a luminous device. According to 87% of the teachers in America, “today’s digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans.” Also, the brain takes a longer time to process and read digital text than print text. 20%—30% of Americans take longer to read from the few digital textbooks tablets have to offer.
Tablets should definitely NOT replace school textbooks. They pose more of a danger than textbooks, are very costly, and is harmful to the environment. Tablets are not easier to handle than textbooks, are easily outdated, and are even disapproved by most of the teachers in America. Refrain from using the damaging tablets and turn to the more classic and relaxed way of learning. It provides more in depth learning and is mostly better for schools and students alike.
—Jun H.
Jun, your point about how quickly technology becomes outdated and will constantly need upgrading is a really strong counter argument to the assertion tablets can save money. Do textbooks also become outdated? Yes, but not as quickly. Also, with literature, for example, a novel like Call of the Wild does not change -- it cannot become outdated. The question is, can we rely on the technology to change slowly enough that the money saved through e-books versus print books is worth it?
ReplyDeleteYou guys are really making me think about both sides here!! Keep up the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteI believe that tablets should not replace textbooks. Tablets are very expensive, easy to break, costly and time-consuming to repair, and very distracting. Some kids can be distracted by almost anything, so think how they would act if given a tablet. Kids in all grades might give in to temptation and play games instead of doing their homework. Another big reason why tablets instead of textbooks is a bad idea is that not all students are trustworthy and tablets mighht be stolen. Theft is already a huge problem at some schools, so if you add tablts to that......I think you know where I'm going with this.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, however, using tablets instead of textbooks would save trees and might even get some students interested in school, learning, and, most importantly, doing their homework. Tablets would also help get kids better at using modern technology and/or computers, which will really help them later in life.
While this is a very tough argument, I belive that sticking with textbooks is the best thing to do. Both textbooks and tablets are fairly expensive, but tablets are much easier to break and there is a much higher chance of theft with tablets. In the end, textbooks are the better choice not only cost-wise, but also because it's what most kids grow up using-a book.
I believe that tablets shouldn’t replace the textbooks. Our textbooks challenge us to dig deeper into finding our answer, and it helps us study. Textbooks you can just tell the students the page number and it’s easier to get to. With the tablets all you worry about is glitches, freezes, and the battery charge. Textbooks can help you focus on one subject, with tablets it can bring you anywhere distracting. With textbooks you can find whatever you need, that is the truth. But with tablets anybody could've written anything on any website.
ReplyDeleteBoth learning tools have their good sides and there bad sides. Even the textbook, it ways like 5 times the weight of the tablet. Tablets are really good for finding very descriptive answers. Tablets can give you answers for any question you have. It is great to use for school and it is quicker to find the answers to your question.
Even though both of these things are great. I still think the older textbooks are a better class learning tool. Because people today are more known for theft, and people would steal your tablet, and that wouldn't be good because they cost way more than an $80 textbook. I don't think anybody would want to steal a textbook. That is why I think the older class textbook is a great class learning tool.
Tablets replacing textbooks will not benefit students as well as people believe they will. Though tablets are smaller in size and can hold up to 1,000 text books per GB, tablets cause many problems and/or increasing them. To use tablet at home, many assignments need internet access to complete them. That means 100 million Americans would have to waste money for their child to learn when they could of not had to pay anything (except for damage, if any) if their child had a textbook. Another piece of evidence to consider is that while textbooks are heavy, "tablets contributes to eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision." (Excerpt from page). A lot of students don't really want an eye problem at this time!
ReplyDeleteTablets are very expensive and easy to break. Many students can accidentally drop it and all those problems add up and add expenses to a already broke school. Also, "students get easily get distracted with apps, games, and websites..." "87% of teachers believe that digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans." (Both from cons). This shows that many students may use tablets as an advantage if they can't go online at home or if they are bored.
Tablets replacing textbooks will not benefit students as well as people believe they will.
The three of you bring up some very convincing counter arguments about tablets. I love the line, "No one is going to steal a textbook." Too true! However, if we see textbooks as boring, as something we wouldn't want to use outside the classroom, would tablets make school more interesting for kids who don't like it?
ReplyDeleteKeep the discussion going! I'm really impressed with you guys!
I agree with both sides. Textbooks and tablets benefit the students and the school in some way, yet they also have their cons. Textbooks, as we all know, are way more heavier than tablets, and tablets are only 1-2 pounds. During the 2011-12 school year, more than 13,700 students were treated in hospitals from back injuries. This leads to complaints and paying for the treatment, which is not exciting for the parents. On the other hand, textbooks allow students to read more comprehensively, remember and learn more than the digital text readers. Textbooks also cannot crash, freeze, or get hacked, like the tablets, and they don't need to be charged! Huh. They also don't allow students to cheat, whereas tablets show many websites where a student would be able to get answers from. The smarter the kids, the better our world is. 100 million Americans, almost one third of US, don't have broadband internet at home. So having a textbook is a better deal than having to pay for internet access and then buying an additional tablet because we all know that they are more expensive than textbooks. Also if a tablet is broken, oh that requires lots of money to repair and can be time-consuming. To fix a textbook, you need tape or glue, things you can find in your own house!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, tablets are also great learning tools. Living in the 21st century means more technology is being used, so with tablets students will be more prepared for a world immersed in technology. Besides their light-weight, tablets can hold hundreds of books, plus student's homework, quizzes, and other files. An average tablet contains up to 64 GB of storage space. For instance, an Amazon Kindle Fire's one GB can hold 1000 books! E-textbooks cost about 50-60% less than print textbooks, and can be instantly updated to get new information. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that "too many students are using books that are 7-10 years old with outdated material." So tablets enable schools to have to purchase new hardware, software, or new copies of print textbooks. The opponents of tablets are they're easily broken, costly and time-consuming repairs, too distracting, and require costly Wi-Fi networks. Nonetheless, tablets are efficient, but are also dangerous. Print textbooks cut down so many trees, yet tablets can cause many health problems, such as, eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision. New York Times says that "adverse health impacts from making one e-reader are estimated to be 70 times greater than those from making a single book." ProCon.org says that "One tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of minerals, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide." Also tablets produce 100 times greenhouse gasses more than print textbooks. I know tablets are quite dangerous! Theft will occur more often with tablets than print textbooks. In 2012, stolen handheld devices costed Americans $30 billion.
Textbooks and tablets are both great learning tools, yet they have their cons. 81% of K-12 teachers believe that "tablets enrich classroom education." Lots of people are still struggling whether or not replacing textbooks with tablets is the best chance of improving education and making the 21st century world economically better.
Tablets shouldn't replace textbooks because textbooks are overall easier. There is a table of contents for you to know here everything is. In a tablet you'll have to check folder after folder. The tablets cost a lot more as well. Tablets are very fragile and can easily break. Meaning that the either the kids' families will have to replace them or the school. Plus losing one tablet is the equivalent of losing all your notes, text books, and resources for the classes. If you forget one textbook at home, there are many others to replace it; however with the economy the way it is, I don't think that they have the money to replace them or to have back ups. Kids won't steal other people's textbooks,but they might steel their tablets and if they lose their tablets then they lose everything. Another problem with tablets is that if the students are not carefully watched they might play games. Textbooks will be there no matter what, but if the internet is down then the tablets will be useless.Textbooks are also quicker. Internet takes long while textbooks are immediate.
ReplyDeleteThis hopefully shows that the text books are here to stay. Textbooks have their advantages but textbooks give the learner more knowledge as well as efficiency.
I strongly believe that tablets should substitute textbooks as a way of learning. Not only does tablets eliminate the heaviness of your backpack,but it will also hold many files. Since a tablet does hold quite a lot files,it will also help the natural world. For example,the tablets save paper due to the elimination of textbooks,scratch paper,notes written down on paper,etc. (Save The Trees!!!)
ReplyDeleteA teacher may be concerned about students having distractions in class because of he usie of apps,etc,but there will be website restrictions. Since FSUSD owns the devices,they have the power to restrict websites. Besides,you would need a password from the account holder to download apps on the device.
Also,tablets take less time for students to learn material oppose to textbooks. According to recent studies,"Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%," (Pros #1) In addition,teachers can use statistical stats to determine whether the students studied,memorized,took notes,did homework,etc. The percentage of stolen tablets would decrease since they would be locked up in a safe at school. If the tablets were to be broken,they would have to be paid for by the student just like textbooks,so there's no difference between the breakage or loss policy.
In conclusion,tablets would be the better choice choice for students,teachers,and the school in general.
-Kayla A. #1
I love the diversity of viewpoints in our class! Thank you all for being so respectful of one another -- we could teach the adults on the internet a thing or two about polite discourse!
ReplyDeleteMany of you are bringing up the point that tablets could save trees. Are there environmental concerns about the use of electricity? Which has a greater impact on the environment? These are great questions to consider -- my students are brilliant!
In Sasha's comment, she mentioned that textbooks are often outdated -- it takes longer to replace/update them, whereas the tablets can access new, up to date material instantly. Does this affect anyone's view of using textbooks? I think it's a really compelling argument.
ReplyDeleteJamal mentioned the risk and cost of theft involved with tablet use. There have been some famous cases in the news (LA Unified) where devices have been stolen. What do we do to prevent this?
I agree with Sasha for believing that tablets and textbooks are both great, and bad. Fine print is easier to read, and kids can't get distracted, as how they get distracted with games,emails,etc. Another thing, is that a tablet costs 100's of dollars, plus costly WiFi, while a book's average cost is $100. More reasons we should keep textbooks are that tablets can cause eye-strains, headaches, and blurry vision, and that they are very easy to break, and cost a lot of money and time to fix, and last but not least, they can be easily stolen.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, tablets could also be better than textbooks in ways. One of them, is that tablets are better than textbooks. While holding you books, your backpack can weigh a ton and cause injuries, but a tablet however, can weigh one-two pounds. Also, even though a tablet is small, an average tablet has up to 64 gigabytes. On an Amazon Kindle Fire, you can get 1,000 books on 1 gigabyte! More reasons are that tablets means less printing books, which help the environment, and they help students learn more material faster.
In conclusion, I think that textbooks and tablets are both great tools for school. Like what Sasha said, people are still struggling to either replace books with tablets, or not. But whatever we choose, it will hopefully make the life in the 21st century better.
Using tablets would definitely change the way students learn at school. There are many pros and cons to the debate on whether tablets could be an influence to schools across the nation. I believe though that schools should continue using textbooks instead of moving on to tablets.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, Many students are not used to using tablets for daily learning, especially younger kids. They may not know how to handle tablets properly, and recovering the damage would take a lot of time and money. If numerous of students all across the country use tablets theres bound to be many problems with this new system of learning. Although tablets are less expensive than textbooks at first, there would be many problems if children cant take proper care of them, and their education could be affected by this problem as well. Secondly, tablets can reduce eyesight, eye problems, and headaches which later can make students less motivated to do homework and lowers their grades. Also, you cant always except every single child to use the internet properly when they could be doing things unrelated to school activities on their tablets. They may be caught cheating on tests and quizzes with how fast searching up answers on the internet may be. Younger children tend to feel distracted and use tablets for other purposes such as games, email. Moreover, reading print text allows the brain to remember, learn, and comprehend more than that of digital text. Nicholas Carr, a Pulitzer Prize winning technology writer, proved that the brain's "cognitive load" can rise which decreases the power to process, store, and maintain information into our own concepts.
Tablets may not be the best choice or experience for kids and schools. This new learning system can be unfamiliar to many students, and can cause financial problems and a lot of time to repair the tablets if any damage is caused. Health problems can also be a result of tablets, children may take advantage of the tablets and use them for inappropriate information or can be caught cheating on tests. In addition, the brain can understand, comprehend, and remember printed text, than digital. Using tablets for education is a popular choice, but schools may not be prepared for the downsides it may hold as well.
-Shreya S.
Tablets should not replace textbooks in k-12 schools. Even though textbooks are heavy and tablets are expensive, they both have great qualities.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that students should be using tablets for learning instead of textbooks because students do get side tracked with online social networks. Many students have mastered the skill of multitasking. This skill allows students to do some of the work online that they're being told to do by the teacher and email they're friends. Commonly they would prefer to chat with their friends online so eventually students aren't even doing the work anymore and their just emailing one another. Textbooks don't give that option unless students are ripping out tiny parts of it's pages and throwing it at each other, which is unlikely considering the fact that throwing tiny papers across the room and paper tearing is pretty obvious. Also accidents happen, younger students or even older students could damage the tablets or accidentally get a virus into the tablet's system costing a lot of money to have it fixed and repaired. Some families could also have a problem with the online homework, due to their wifi, not all families have wifi or good wifi for their student to do the online work. Yes, they could go to the library or a 'free wifi' cafe or area, but it wouldn't be fair for them to travel out of their way and schedule for their child to do homework. Many people, not just students, get headaches or strain their eyes because of the tablet's screen, while students are online they could decide to 'relax their mind' by watching youtube or playing online games or not even do the work. Unlike using a textbook students aren't able to go play games on it and would have to grab a device. If parents watch their child do homework by having the student study in the same room as their parent, the student can create multiple tabs on the tablet and go behind their parents' backs and do something 'fun', in their opinion, instead of working. Further more, not everyone is good with technology. Some students can log into the tablet and start the assignment and if a problem occurs, can handle it on their own, but some other students may have trouble trying to get started on the assignment and if a problem occurs would need to ask for help, but some students are independent or embarrassed to ask for help or scared to be laughed at by the other kids, which is natural for students.
-Nikamarie F.
Even though the tablets can teach students life skills for the future, some aren't comfortable with working with them and might struggle with the change. If students have have after school activities with a textbook they can leave it and their assignment in the car to do on the way and back, but with the online homework they would have to wait until they get home leaving them with less time for their homework then they already have. In class if the children don't properly put away the tablet it might not charge and sometimes the teachers don't have the time to double check to make sure its charging because teacher's have lives outside of school too, and if the tablet doesn't charge what will the student use if the battery is gone? They might not be lucky to have an extra tablet. Sometimes students also forget to save their assignments on google drive (or on what they need to save it on) and then all the work they did will be lost. On a textbook they would have written their assignment down and would loose it by misplacing it. Some students might be doing well with the tablet at school, but when they get ome and a problem occurs on the website they'll need help for their parent or teacher and if their parent doesn't understand what to do and the student will need to email their teacher, but the problem might not be resolved even with the teacher's help. Cheating is also likely due to the new technology. The student wouldn't even have to look at someone else to cheat, they could search it online while the teacher is on the other side of the classroom or helping a student who is having computer problems. Some students might even steal the tablets because their family might not be able to afford one and just to be like everyone else or to be 'cool'.
DeleteThere for tablets shouldn't replace textbooks due to online problems, physical damage, unfairness to some families, theft, cheating, and children's short attention span leading to gaming and emailing.
I see both sides of the argument because each source would help education. For example if you were to use a tablet you could download games or apps to help you study. In addition to that, you could get a lot more information from the internet then you could from a textbook. On the down side to that any one can post somethimg on the internet so what you find might not always be true. For example on Wikipedia anyone can change or post something wrong.
ReplyDeleteTextbooks are also a good thing to use in classrooms because the students actually have to do the research. If you were to use a tablet all the time you would just have to type in what you wanted to know and BOOM there it is. Another good thing about textbooks is kids wont get distracted easily with apps and stuff. One bad things about text books is that they dont have as much information as a tablet would. In my opinion either source would be perfect to use in school.
I think that tablets have reasons to be in schools and reasons not to be in schools. On one hand, they reduce the amount of paper that is used, therefor reduce the amount of trees cut down. Another thing that tablets do is reduce the amount of weight that students carry, according to most pediatricians and chiropractors you should not carry more than 15% of your body weight in a backpack.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, tablets are more easily broken then textbooks and cost a lot to repair, not to mention the initial cost to purchase the tablets. Unfortunately, many students do not have sufficient home internet bandwidth to use tablets and many schools have the added cost to provide Wi-Fi. According to a 2010 FCC survey found that nearly 80% of K-12 schools reported broadband connections that were "inadequate to meet their current needs".
So we have to ask our selves, is it worth the additional costs to provide every student with new tablets? Is it worth the risk of students getting distracted by apps, email, games, and websites? Is it worth requiring family's with limited budgets to spend additional money? There are still a lot of facts to review on this subject before a clear decision, if at all, can be made.
I think that tablets would be better than textbooks. Tablets, unlike textbooks, weigh only a couple pounds so a child's backpack isn't as heavy as a backpack with textbooks. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said that during the 2011-12 school year 13,700 students had backpack related injuries. This shows that with tablets would out rank textbooks in weight. If tablets were traded for textbooks there would be less backpack related injuries to students.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why tablets should replace textbooks is that tablets let students learn material faster. Tablets can reduce time to learn an objective by 30-80%, according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association. This would mean students can learn more things faster and more efficient.
I believe that tablets should not replace textbooks, sure technology will probably be used a lot in the future, but a tablet replacing a text book will not be too beneficial.
ReplyDeleteOne major reason why textbooks should not be replaced, is that tablets cost much more money than textbooks. For example, according to Lee Wilson (a prominent education marketing expert) estimated the average cost per student per class cost for a tablet to be $71.55 vs $14.26 for a textbook. That's about 552% more expense for just the tablet instead of a textbook. On top of that expense, schools may have to pay for new, better wifi, and they have to teach the teachers how to use the tablets. Plus, the average battery on a tablet is 7.26 hours which is less than the school hours. This means charging the tablet, which not only takes time, but also increases the electricity bill for the school. This is money that could be spent on other purposes for the school.
Some people may say that textbooks may cause back problems, but using tablets also causes many health problems too. According to the American Optometric Association, handhelds like tablets can cause Computer Vision Syndrome, which causes eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. People who read print can also comprehend, learn, and remember more than those who read off digital text. According to procon.org, people read 20-30% slower reading digital text. Tablets are also more likely to get stolen than a textbook. Nobody is going to want to steal a textbook. This is because there is much more you can do with a tablet. Tablets would not make school too much more interesting because with a tablet for school, there would be a restriction to what could be downloaded onto the tablet.
Even with these restrictions, tablets would still cause many distractions. Students may pay attention to apps, email, and websites instead of their teachers. Students should not be distracted by what is supposed to help them learn. Tablets also allow students to cut corners and cheat by being able to search answers on the web using easy to access google or any search engines.
Tablets will not make school any better, sticking with the textbook is the best choice, at the moment. The price is much more then what schools will gain with tablets. Students also comprehend textbooks better than tablets which means the overall learning and education is better with textbooks. So why change?
I think tablets and textbooks are both efficient. A tablet could save more paper, and it could be updated more often. Sometimes it takes months to replace a textbook because of the cost. With tablets, it takes an hour or two to update. Tablets also help kids learn material faster and it would help teachers get through lessons faster. The text states, "Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%, according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association." This shows students read faster on tablets rather than paper writing. Textbooks would greatly reduce the weight of backpacks, because a tablet could carry many textbooks, homework assignments, quizzes, and books. If you had textbooks still, you would have to carry each one separately. Kids get back injuries carrying all of their things. "In the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids, ages 5 to 18 were treated for backpack-related injuries according to US Consumer Product Safety Commission." This shows that if we have tablets, lightweight tablets, there will be less backpack injuries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sasha saying, "Textbooks and tablets benefit the students and the school in some way, yet they also have their cons." I believe that they both have their cons, like if students use a tablet, they could get side tracked due to games and social networking. If students used textbooks, they would have to bring them home and back to school every day, which is an extra 1-2 pounds with each book. Using a text book isn't all bad.
Using a textbook has its pros too. For example, kids won't get distracted from games, apps, videos, etc. with a textbook. Students who read print text remember and learn more than those who read digital text. Students that don't have wifi connection at home wouldn't be able to access all the homework, quizzes, school work, notes, etc. so it wouldn't be fair to all the students. If students break the tablet, it would cost more then the price it takes to replace a textbook.
In conclusion, I think it doesn't matter whether students use a tablet or a textbook for learning. The tablet and textbook both have its pros and cons. The only thing that matters is which the student works best with, because a lot of students work different ways.
-Karina V.
I beleive textbooks and tablets both have reasons to be in classroms. Switching completely to tablets could hinder some students learning abilities. While the only downside to a text book in my opinion is they may be out of date.
ReplyDeleteThe upsides to tablets are that they are more up to date than textbooks and in csome cases a kid may access material faster. Yet, I feel that is not the case always. By simply using the table of contents kids cant find their information in a textbook also. Tablets may also cause kids to get distraction by random things on the internet, and not all things online are reliable.
While textbooks can be heavy, they aren't so unberaingly heavy that a change is neccisary for that reason alone. Also while the school provides all children textbooks, they may not have internet access at home. As a solution to that you could say go to the library, but not all children's parents have time to take them to the library or drop them off. Plus, students woldn't have to bring their textbooks back and forth from school. With the system in place at this school that is not a problem. So the weight issue isn't relevant at all schools.
In conclusion I believe textbooks are still more reliable, but more up to date textbooks are definitely needed. Tablets should only be used when provided in class, yet using the internet should only be an alternative option or extra credit option when it comes to home use.
Although both arguments have their pros and cons, in my opinion the tablet comes out on top. A tablet can save millions of paper and trees, while textbooks shred through them. You can store millions of textbooks on a tablet without damaging trees or using paper. Tablets also are way lighter than an ordinary textbook. An average textbook weighs about 3.5 pounds, while the average tablet weighs 1-2 pounds. Carrying multiple textbooks can hurt or injure your back. "According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, during the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids, aged 5 to 18, were treated for backpack-related injuries." "School is a place to learn not to break your back. If you had a tablet you could easily carry that around in your backpack and sometimes not even feel it there. Tablets help students learn more material faster. Technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30-80%, according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association". A student can learn more in one day than they usually do using textbooks. Tablets can hold tons of textbooks, projects, and other school related files. "The average tablet contains anywhere from 8 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of storage space. On the Amazon Kindle Fire, for instance, 1,000 books take up one GB of space." Theoretically speaking, you can hold 64,000 books on a tablet if you have 64 GB. "Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt tested an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1 textbook for Apple's iPad in California's Riverside Unified School District. Students who used the iPad version scored 20 percent higher on standardized tests versus students who learned with traditional textbooks." This is a much higher result than you may assume. If the textbook student got a D then the tablet student would get a B. "According to a 2012 report from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), K-12 school districts spend more than $8 billion per year on textbooks. [6] E-textbooks can save schools between $250-$1,000 per student per year. [9] Tablet prices also continue to drop, making them increasingly affordable. Tablets cost on average $489 in 2011, $386 in 2012, and are projected to cost $263 in 2015." Tablets will eventually be super cheap and we wont have to harm nature any longer. Afraid students will get sidetracked with apps and games? Block or uninstall all of the apps that are not useful to learning and make it so only administrators can unblock or install apps.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I think that tablets are better and students should use tablets more often in school. This will change how teachers will teach their students, but the future is technology. Using tablets now will help you with learning higher scale technology in the future. Textbooks are fine, but tablets are better.
I do not believe tablets should replace textbooks. Although textbooks and tablets are both great learning tools, textbooks would be more beneficial in the long run. Tablets have a very wide range of problems regarding their use in school. They cause a wide range of health problems such as eye strain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and, according to the NY Daily News, a variety of eye problems. You may think tablets are more Eco friendly because they lessen the killing of trees, but in reality, the amount of resources and the electricity they consume technically makes them worse. Plus, textbooks may be reused many times.
ReplyDeletePeople also tend to read digital text slower than printed text by about 20-30%. Some students may not even be able to afford tablets, and even if they're provided by the schools, their household may not have enough internet bandwidth to support them. Tablets also bring forth distractions for students such as gaming apps and social media accessible through them. Though tablets can store hundreds of textbooks on them, only a select few of textbooks are available electronically.
According to Wikipedia, textbooks have been used in America since the 18th century, and are more reliable than tablets. Some people say that today's textbooks are outdated and are a waste of trees, but there is no reason we shouldn't just recycle the old ones to make newer, more updated versions. Even if we can't, their content may still be relevant. Textbooks also cost significantly less than tablets. Though both tablets and textbooks are great sources of information and learning, textbooks are what we've always used and we should continue doing so.
- Kayla A. 2
I can see from both sides of the argument. Textbooks and tablets are both good ways of learning, but they are also very different. Textbooks may be very heavy and could cause a back problem. On the other hand, tablets brightness could hurt the eyes and get the students too attached to electronics. Tablets can also be a problem with having to update a lot and having to be put in the risk of getting viruses since kids don't know any better and how to protect the viruses from getting on the tablets.
ReplyDeleteTablets are also much more costly than textbooks. With tablets, people could make it so they know what the students search and download so they cant search for the answers. Textbooks have answers in the back which teachers may or may not know about the students using it. Textbooks are fairly easy to understand since its a book and everyone should know how to read a book. While tablets can be very complex to understand. So tablets and textbooks both have their flaws, but overall, i think we should stick with textbooks since that's how we've been doing it before so why all of the sudden switch it off?
-Juliana P.
I think that tablets should replace textbooks because they don't use paper and waste trees. Also a tablet can be used as a notebook and those also use paper. Tablets can helps save money for the school because it eliminates needs for certain school supplies. They are also lightweight and easy to carry unlike textbooks which are heavy and you have to carry multiple of. Also tablets can hold hundreds of books on one device. They also help you learn material faster according to the US Department of Education and studies by the National Training and Simulation Association. Some people may think that students will be sidetracked by games but all you have to do is block those games. Also they could block certain websites they don't want the students to go on.
ReplyDeleteI think everything would be a lot easier if we switched to tablets instead of textbooks. I concur with Elijah in the manner that we would save a lot of paper, and forests are disappearing every day. Using textbooks isn't exactly helping the environment. Also, it saves you a ton of money because its only one device, and you can put all your books on the same device! Plus, according to the U.S Department of Education, devices can help us learn a lot faster. And if any unnecessary websites have been visited, teachers will be notified and requested to block said website.
ReplyDelete--Kaela A.