Will Tomorrow’s Textbooks Be Paperless?

by

Alpha Omega Publications

What will a Christian classroom look like in the future? Will your child continue to learn with printed textbooks or will ebooks and online resources eventually eliminate the need for heavy, hardbound textbooks? During the past 50 years, rapid advancements in technology have changed the way we educate our children. Teaching has evolved from chalkboards, typewriters, and reel-to-reel movie projectors to whiteboards, computers, and DVD players. Now, SMART boards are threatening to make whiteboards extinct, and computer-based learning is well on its way to replacing traditional textbooks in the classroom.

So, what two catalysts are contributing to this format change in educating todays youth?

Costs: Follow the money trail. According to the Government Accountability Office, prices of textbooks have outpaced inflation two to one in the last twenty years and comprise 26 percent of tuition and fees at four-year colleges. The same trend is true across the nation in K-12 schools. Paper costs and printing expenses have made printed textbooks more expensive to purchase and have added to the average yearly education price tag of $7500 per student in public schools. Obviously, one way to reduce skyrocketing prices and make education more affordable is to integrate the worlds of technology and textbooks. The next generation of textbooks will not only save trees and the environment, it also will save the average tax payer hundreds of dollars.

Popularity: Electronic textbooks and computer-based curriculum are more convenient than conventional textbooks. Many of todays children find it easier to read from a screen rather than from oversized textbooks, and they can easily carry lightweight CD-ROMs in their backpacks. When given their choice, children usually pick learning with educational games to counteract short attention spans. Plus, children seem to prefer the compelling format and self-directed learning found in digital educational software. Subject matter is presented in an interactive, multimedia format with eye-catching pictures, color, and animation that make learning more fun.

However, students arent the only ones who appreciate the technology of computer-based learning. Teachers recognize the adaptability of online textbooks and the ability to avoid the I forgot my book problems in schools. With more options for teachers, information and material can now be customized to fit the individual needs of each student. In addition, digital textbooks and CD-ROM software can reduce lesson preparation time, provide assessment and grading tools, and even assign homework so students can learn at their own pace.

In the end, textbooks will probably never go away completely. Theres still something aesthetically pleasing about holding a textbook and teaching children with this traditional form of education. However, as technology continues to provide more and more online tools, teachers need to adapt and find ways to make more dynamic learning environments using todays computer-based learning resources.

Learn how to find the best

textbooks

that successfully educate your students in Gods Word. Create a learning environment to help your students grow in their Christian walk with information on

textbooks

that provide a quality Christian education.

Article Source:

Will Tomorrow’s Textbooks Be Paperless?}