Louisville Ky news story about NST at high school book club

[Reisnice]

The Louisville Courier-Journal Neighborhoods section had a full page story today, on a local high school library that was loaning NSTs to their book club members for the full school year, pre-loaded with books.  This coincided with the local public library (finally) lending ebooks, which could also be downloaded to the NSTs.  It was part of a project to raise reading levels at the school.  Overall, a nice free PR piece for B&N.

[moose_tracker]

MooseTracker, although I look forward to more ebooks at libraries.. I am not too fond of the idea of giving out technical devices to school age kids.

If it's a donation by B&N or some wealthy sole, well ok.. But, otherwise there is better things the school can spend it's tax dollar on.  Kids are too rough with textbooks as is.. All we need is the cost of yearly replacements for nooks that get lost, fall in mud puddles and get eatten by the dog..

[Reisnice]

This was a small-scale experiment in long-term loaning.  I think that if BN and Amazon are serious about schools, both are going to need a much more bullet-and-water-proof model than either have currently, as well as some compelling content.  They better hurry, though, because from what I've been reading, Apple has pretty much hijacked the new ePub spec with proprietary coding meant for fancy textbooks on iPhones and iPads.  

[BeachCatFan]

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moose_tracker wrote:

MooseTracker, although I look forward to more ebooks at libraries.. I am not too fond of the idea of giving out technical devices to school age kids.

If it's a donation by B&N or some wealthy sole, well ok.. But, otherwise there is better things the school can spend it's tax dollar on.  Kids are too rough with textbooks as is.. All we need is the cost of yearly replacements for nooks that get lost, fall in mud puddles and get eatten by the dog..

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Get used to it. More and more schools are choosing iPads over traditional textbooks. While I abolutely adore gadgets, I have mixed feelings. As a taxpayer, the cost of the iPads concerns me. As an educator, I see the awesome advantages to a new type of learning technique..........textbooks that include video is one of them. The world changes. Might as well get used to it!! Remember (assuming you are old enough) the idea of computers in schools? LOL My elementary school aged sons were using a computer at school before we owned one in our own home. Actually, that was the reason I purchased our first computer...............way back when, in the DOS era

Now, I simply could not LIVE without my computer (okay, I could, but I wouldn't be very happy) or the other associated items, like any of my NOOKS or my smartphone.

[AlanNJ Inspired Bibliophile]

The fact that the schools will only have the option to work with one manufacturer is what bothers me.  I would much rather see them find or lobby for an Android solution so multiple manufacturers could be involved. 

To me, this is another marketing ploy to get people used to their devices early so they purchase them again as adults.

Before anyone says that I'm against the Apple concept let me also say that it is this same attitude that has prevented me from purchasing a Kindle (even though I have Prime membership on Amazon)... I much prefer choice.

[kamas716]

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BeachCatFan wrote:

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 Remember (assuming you are old enough) the idea of computers in schools? LOL My elementary school aged sons were using a computer at school before we owned one in our own home. Actually, that was the reason I purchased our first computer...............way back when, in the DOS era

Now, I simply could not LIVE without my computer (okay, I could, but I wouldn't be very happy) or the other associated items, like any of my NOOKS or my smartphone.

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Yes, I remember when our elementary school got it's first Apple II+, it sat in the office. About a year later the school got two Apple IIe's, so that they could be shared amongst all of the class rooms in each wing of the building.  We didn't get a computer at home for another four years.

[BeachCatFan]

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AlanNJ wrote:

The fact that the schools will only have the option to work with one manufacturer is what bothers me.  I would much rather see them find or lobby for an Android solution so multiple manufacturers could be involved. 

To me, this is another marketing ploy to get people used to their devices early so they purchase them again as adults.

Before anyone says that I'm against the Apple concept let me also say that it is this same attitude that has prevented me from purchasing a Kindle (even though I have Prime membership on Amazon)... I much prefer choice.

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While in theory, I agree with you on "choice", I also understand why schools work with one manufacturer. Each and every Android device works differently, to some extent. Can you imagine the immense learning curve involved here? Not to mention, the expense of numerous purchase orders and contracts for purchases. Schools just don't work that way. That's why every 4th grade teacher in a school system uses the same texbooks that every other 4th grade teacher in that school system uses (just as an example). They may choose supplemental materials, but the basic teaching tool is the same.

Who would determine which school or classroom gets a Samsung Galaxy Tab and which one gets a Motorola XOOM? 

[Jadjuka]

Sorry not a fan. As a college student I'd rather pay a little more for a physical text book that way I don't have to worry about it dying in the middle of class and also have the teacher say "you should have charged it before class". I won't always have time to charge it and I'd rather worry about a phone dying than having my textbook die. 

Also I write exclusevly in cursive and can't stand to write any other way unless its a mathematical formula in which case I'll write in the "ugly way" as I call it. Going digital means I can't write my notes in cursive and before anyone says anything. It's a thing I have. Everyone who studies has their own quirk or thing. This is mine. Don't even bother trying to correct it. 

I know I seem old fashioned but hey, I don't mind reading on my nook for pleasure but for times when I have to get down to business and break out the coffee, I NEED a physical textbook. Also I can read the textbook in sunlight. Something the iPad and LeD devices can't do. 

Also has anyone here done any of the math homework that is now digital these days? It's a PAIN! Don't know who wrote the program, but whoever did really messed up. Three chances to get a problem correct IN A SPACIFIC WAY THE COMPUTER WANTS IT is bull. If I get the write answer than it doesn't matter if I have the answer as a fraction or decimal. It's mathematically considered correct! I shouldn't have to play guessing games and get the answer marked as wrong when I can show the problem to a professor and get it counted as correct. Sorry but I believe in math and sciences should be the old fashioned way; PENCIL AND PAPER!

[kamas716]

Cursive?  You are quickly becoming a dinosaur.  Many school districts don't even teach that anymore (which I think is a shame).

[fjrichman]

I have to agree about the whole Decimal vs Fractions thing, but on the other hand feel a need to point out that depends on the math software being used, and isn't restricted solely to computers (I had a recent Math teacher who would mark things wrong because I had reduced it completely, or I'd put decimals instead of fractions or vice versa).

On the idea of physical vs digital text books I've honestly found they both have their advantages and disadvantages. With digital books, I find it's easier to read through them on say the NST, than having to lug around a bunch of big books, but on the other hand I also find it easier to search for a specific page on a physical book than it is a digital one.

[bobstro]

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Jadjuka wrote:

[...] Also has anyone here done any of the math homework that is now digital these days? It's a PAIN! Don't know who wrote the program, but whoever did really messed up. Three chances to get a problem correct IN A SPACIFIC WAY THE COMPUTER WANTS IT is bull. If I get the write answer than it doesn't matter if I have the answer as a fraction or decimal. It's mathematically considered correct!

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I suppose it depends on whether you think of a university education as an academic experience, or preparation for actually working for a living. I can see both sides, and your selected major might influence my opinion.

[kamas716]

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fjrichman wrote:

On the idea of physical vs digital text books I've honestly found they both have their advantages and disadvantages. With digital books, I find it's easier to read through them on say the NST, than having to lug around a bunch of big books, but on the other hand I also find it easier to search for a specific page on a physical book than it is a digital one.

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Yes, when I was in school (a couple of decades ago) I could almost always remember where to find the information in the book, even if I couldn't recall the information itself.  With eBooks, I can see where that would be a pain, as the "physical" memory wouldn't be there (this far down in the book, after that diagram there, but before this other photo, etc.).  Of course, now with the eBook, I could just search for the word(s) in question.

[NancyW12]

As a parent, I would jump at the chance to have an ereader available. My son's high school books have a replacement cost of $85 each!!!

[Jadjuka]

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kamas716 wrote:

Cursive?  You are quickly becoming a dinosaur.  Many school districts don't even teach that anymore (which I think is a shame).

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I'm not that old. T_T But yeah I see myself more and more becoming a dinosaur. I don't have kids so I have no clue if school districts are even teaching it at all anymore. It is a shame. I also play WoW and in my guild I'm the only one that writes in cursive exclusively. Which is sad since....I want to say maybe 3/4 of the people in the guild are in their 37+ years of age. 

[keriflur]

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Jadjuka wrote:

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kamas716 wrote:

Cursive?  You are quickly becoming a dinosaur.  Many school districts don't even teach that anymore (which I think is a shame).

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I'm not that old. T_T But yeah I see myself more and more becoming a dinosaur. I don't have kids so I have no clue if school districts are even teaching it at all anymore. It is a shame. I also play WoW and in my guild I'm the only one that writes in cursive exclusively. Which is sad since....I want to say maybe 3/4 of the people in the guild are in their 37+ years of age. 

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I'm 35.  When I was a kid I always thought it was weird that my dad didn't use cursive, ever.  Now as an adult I use it so sparingly - only when I write a check - that each time I have to remember how to do it and all my checks look like a seven-year-old wrote them!

[kamas716]

I'm 41, and occassionally use cursive.  But, my handwriting is so attrocious that I have to print in order to read my notes (Police Dispatcher with a Computer Aided Dispatch program that locks up every couple of weeks and we have to go back to pen/paper).

My wife teaches 4th grade, and her district is still teaching it.  However, the disctict next door announced a couple of years ago they weren't going to teach it anymore so they can teach more keyboarding.  I think that's a problem, as it will make it harder for kids to read what their parents/grandparents write, and it promotes fine motor skills in the hand.

Oh well.

[keriflur]

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kamas716 wrote:

I'm 41, and occassionally use cursive.  But, my handwriting is so attrocious that I have to print in order to read my notes (Police Dispatcher with a Computer Aided Dispatch program that locks up every couple of weeks and we have to go back to pen/paper).

My wife teaches 4th grade, and her district is still teaching it.  However, the disctict next door announced a couple of years ago they weren't going to teach it anymore so they can teach more keyboarding.  I think that's a problem, as it will make it harder for kids to read what their parents/grandparents write, and it promotes fine motor skills in the hand.

Oh well.

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Wow, I never really thought about how it will make it harder for kids to read cursive if they never learn to write it.  That seems troubling.