Current Educational Issues PowerPoint Class: EDU 290 By: Kevin Skylis

1. Current Educational Issues:Digital Textbooks 10/29/2009 Kevin Skylis 1

2. Old Books, New Students Current textbooks lack digital content Modern students thrive in digital learning environments Current textbooks fail to meet the needs of modern learners

3. New Tools for Learning Digital Textbooks can be: Flexible Interactive Modern Engaging Low Cost

4. What are Digital Textbooks? No single, simple definition Go beyond printed words to make “textbooks” a fluid concept Integrate a variety of media Can be entirely digital or a mix of print and digital

5. Who produces digital textbooks? Textbook publishing companies like: Pearson, Glencoe/McGraw Hill, and Harcourt Digital textbook developers such as learning.com and Kinetic Books Non-profit, open source organizations such as CK-12

6. What are the Advantages to Schools? Saves schools money! Allows teachers to be more innovative in their methods Integrates technology into education Digital textbooks are easily adaptable

7. What are the Benefits for Students? Students don’t have to carry around lots of heavy and expensive books! Learning becomes more interactive and interesting Digital textbooks employ a variety of multimedia Digital textbooks can be tailored to meet the needs of individual learners Books in a stack.jpg Author: austinevan http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/1225274637/

8. Digital Textbooks in California California recently approved 10 digital textbooks for classroom use They are for high school math and science classes All 10 textbooks are open source collaborations and free Gov. Schwarzenegger hopes it will save money and update textbooks

9. Drawbacks and Disadvantages Many schools do not have enough computers to use digital textbooks Open-source digital textbooks may contain unreliable information Many students would be unable to access digital textbooks at home CCDHS Classroom, Miles City.jpg Author: dave_mcmt http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_mcmt/187432802/

10. Conclusion Digital textbooks enhance student learning They allow teachers to teach more effectively Digital textbooks are potential cost-savers for school districts They enhance curriculum by integrating technology and multimedia

11. References Waters, John. "Out of Print." T.H.E Journal May 2007: 30-36. Print. Surdin, Ashley. "In some classrooms, books are a thing of the past." The Washington Post. 19 Oct 2009. The Washington Post Company, Web. 29 Oct 2009. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/18/AR2009101802360.html>. Fletcher, Geoffrey. "How Would You Like Your Content?." T.H.E Journal 04 Jan 08: n. pag. Web. 29 Oct 2009. <http://thejournal.com/Articles/2008/04/01/How-Would-You-Like-Your-Content.aspx?sc_lang=en&Page=1>. Lewin, Tamar. "In a Digital Future, Textbooks are History." The New York Times. 08 Aug 2009. The New York Times Company, Web. 29 Oct 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/education/09textbook.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2>. Images: "books in a stack." flickr. Web. 29 Oct 2009. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/1225274637/>. "CCDHS Classroom, Miles City." flickr. Web. 29 Oct 2009. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_mcmt/187432802/>.