schoolbooks going digital

[hoffdano]

harhar - you might be 100% correct. But do you want California to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this right now?

[Cacumen667]

Yea, unfortunately, the article didn't mention how much it would cost to implement this program.
It only mentioned that initial savings from the plan would be between $300-$400 million.
Oh and I don't think students will be issued laptops. I just think that reading assignments will be posted online on the school's website. And students will be issued online accounts.

[MisterDuke]

Arnold is hallucinating. His projected savings are based on the notion that textbook publishers will provide their digital content for free. There's no way that's going to happen, unless maybe the publishers accept ad revenue. Like Pepsi ads in the math books.

California schools see distant digital future for textbooks | ScrippsNews
"Secretary of Education spokeswoman Jennifer Hsiang said schools spend roughly $100 on textbooks for each high-school student per year.

The governor's digital-education project began last month to identify digital textbooks that are free and downloadable. Nonprofits and other free providers have until June 15 to submit materials to the California Learning Resources Network, which will determine if they're in line with state curriculum. The plan is to have links to high-school science and math textbooks online by Aug. 10.

If all goes well, they'll expand into other subjects, director Brian Bridges said.

The longevity of the program depends on the people who provide instructional materials continuing to do so for free, said Tom Adams, the state Department of Education's director of curriculum frameworks and instructional resources."

[harhar]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

harhar - you might be 100% correct. But do you want California to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this right now?

Of course not now. The only thing I would suggest is a gradual implementation and a pilot program at a school in every district for a couple of years, then when our economy gets better spread it out to the remainder of the schools.


1. There is a gradual push currently for "e-books." I have currently hundreds if not thousands of free ancillary textbook on CD-ROMS in our bookroom, that aren't even being used. This is a waste because most teachers do not or will not implement them unless they have to, or have no idea that they exist. Of course these would be currently used on the computer at home or in our library.

2. The way that Misterduke suggests is correct. Usually schools get a bunch of stuff for free, (for most programs) then we get suckered or whatever into buying into a program for years to come.

3. These "e-texts" won't be free, but even if they are half the cost and implemented with a reader of some kind I know for a fact that it will save money over time. Not only in inital costs, but retention over the years.

[bayarea-girl]

CA is broke and this is not the time to even consider this. Every other day they keep talking about cutting school budgets and reducing staff. I rather have a teacher in the class room teaching my kids then an electronic text book system where the real cost and made up costs are yet to be established. Plus there are so many other services the state is talking about cutting right now, not sure why we would entertain spending what we don't have? Just doesn't make sense at this point.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Now that I think about it and as a parent of four current students and one that will start this year in Kindergarten, I don't see how it will happen either. Our district told us that the kids would have a set of books to take home and a set would remain in the class. They couldn't cover that deal and some of the kids ended up sharing books at the begining of the year. If they don't have the money to buy books then where will they get the money to buy the electronic devices? Oh I forgot, tax us more.

[ImRandy]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

If they don't have the money to buy books then where will they get the money to buy the electronic devices?

It's still unclear if there will be any "electronic devices" purchased or provided by the schools. A digital textbook could easily be just software.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I was noticing in my sons Ventura College catalog for some of the classes they charge you a fee if you purchase a used book. The fee was for access to the information online that the students will need.