Tipping Point for Digital Texts - Teacher Approval

At the VSS2009 conference this week someone asked Pearson if they, as a publisher, were really on board with the digital revolution in learning. Of course he answered yes - but also clearly stated that text book approvals at the state level happen every six years basically creating a huge barrier for innovation in the text book arena. At least Texas has begun the process of opening the door to digital textbooks.

So in order for innovation in digital texts to happen, text book approval has to decentralize. When I first started writing this, I was going to advocate for moving it to the district. But even that doesn't make sense as rapidly as technology is changing in education.

We will have true innovation when the teacher decides what text to use. We will truly serve each student when the teacher can pick chapters, or even pages, from the texts they want in order to meet the standards for that particular subject. Then student learning can really be customized. So if teachers know what has to be taught from solid state standards and have access to great digital content, they can put together some amazing lesson plans each year.

Instead, they are stuck with a text book that was approved 5 years ago by a state board that has no idea what is going on each classroom.

Kindle replaces library books!

The Kindle is coming! One school at a time is what it is going to take. But when you do the numbers, this is a financial decision that comes with so many benefits that you cannot deny the need. Our kids are digital natives who demand technology and will see getting a Kindle as already behind the times.

The next wave of textbooks/libraries will be fully interactive. So while I applaud this move by one school moving to digital libraries and textbooks, we need to really think about the next step and the book-lovers need to stop freaking out. I yearn for the day that kids no longer tote backbreaking books home every night.

As a side note, I just signed up for the iNACOL virtual school symposium in Austin – hope to see you there to learn even more about the next step in online learning!

Digital Texts

Having paid way too much for college text books for my daughters, I appreciate the fact that the economy is driving more schools to use digital texts. In this Washington Post article on digital textbooks, it points out that California is moving that way but meeting some resistence.

How can their be resistence when so many students are digital savvy and the current cost is so high? It is the publishers with a $7 billioni industry trying to protect their livelihoods.

In Liberating Learning the authors say that digital content will be offered for free and it is the support materials that will make publishers money. I don't think it will ever be free, but the price will come down and the support materials will be much more important.