Trading textbooks for laptops

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Post ImageIn case you missed it, we’re in the year 2005 now, and I don’t know about you but I expected far more schools to have laptops by now:

An Arizona high school is set to become one of the first ebook-only schools, as it preps to hand out laptops to 350 students this fall. The cost for the laptops at Vail High School will be about $850 per student, compared to about $600 for textbooks. The school plans to supplement electronic versions of traditional textbooks with online articles assigned by teachers.

I like the idea of using computers in school for more than just “computer class” or research in the library. Seems to me that Tablet PC’s would be better suited for a classroom environment, but maybe the price is still a little prohibitive.

Read: Engadget


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  • http://www.google.com/search?q=KoGs KoGs

    I think the amount of tech support they would have to provide would cause more problems than benefits. At present, I would be perfectly satisfied with textbooks on cd roms. But I doubt that will happen, since publishers will lose a crap load of money. Because CD-Roms do not cost as much as paper and ink required to produce textbooks, they cannot get away with charging an ass load for textbooks as they are now. Also cd-roms are so easily replicated now, instead of trying to photocopy an entire textbook for example.

  • http://blog.mastermaq.ca Mack D. Male

    Yep, I agree, textbooks on CD-ROMs would be great. But having computers opens even greater possibilities. Once every student is using a computer, assignments can be submitted electronically, tests can be graded "live", and numerous other improvements can be made.

    The result? Probably less time spent by teachers grading tests and lugging assignments around, and perhaps even online, up-to-date marks for parents.

    At least for high schools, laptops make a lot of sense. At the University level, electronic textbooks alone would be great.