E-Readers in the Classroom Are the New Textbooks

Say goodbye to the heavy, dusty, and expensive textbooks and say hello to an electronic device that digitally displays the book for a student to read. Today's students have more experience with technology than previous generations and would be willing to replace their boring old textbooks with a "cooler" and more technology based textbook. If classrooms introduce e-readers this will save the schools money and space and will create a more individual connection between the student and the text.

The e-readers, an electronic digital display have become popular in the past couple of years and are known for their small design and easy transportation. Students of all ages have tested and assessed various types of e-readers and think highly of the machine and its future uses. I think that if classrooms stop buying the one hundred dollar textbooks and then choose to purchase the same text for less money, the schools will be saving money in the long run. I can remember receiving a textbook in elementary school and looking at the previous users of the text, which were many. The books are used and abused for far to long, and often become outdated. Textbooks are large and clunky and often are damaged beyond repair but, are still used. If the textbooks are downloaded digitally, the copy will last and not subject to the normal wear and tear. Finally, the days of carrying your body weight in textbooks home each night are over with the introduction of the e-reader to the classroom.

One final reason why e-readers should be introduced into the classroom is because the e-readers allow children to read at their own pace. This pace differs from person to person and students would like the ability to read in the way they like best. My friend suffers from dyslexia and often times her letters are reversed. This condition makes reading normal texts harder because she is faced with a large sheet filled with words and no direction on how to tackle the text. She recently purchase an e-reader and enjoys now using the device to read her texts in a more organized way. The following video highlights the many used of the e-reader not only in the classroom but in society as a whole.



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The picture of the book was used with permission from iClipart for Schools.