A Message from DEG President Mike Huling
I hope all is well! As DEG continues to discuss the future of education with schools across the country, the issue of time keeps popping up.
Schools that are keen to jump on board the e-book train want it to happen immediately. Understandably, they want their students to receive the numerous benefits that e-books provide as quickly as possible.
But for a school to switch to e-books the right way takes immense planning and implementation. For your school to be completely digital by next year, you need to start planning today!
Visionary people see things that are in the distance with more clarity than others. This is your chance to see the benefits of e-books in the distance and to take the rights steps to achieve it!
Mike
The State of the E-Textbook
There are many benefits to using e-textbooks: they are cheaper for students to buy; they are easier on the environment to create; they are accessible instantly from multiple devices; they enhance a student’s ability to interact with the material; and they increase a student’s ability to stand up straight without the burden of a 60-pound backpack! However e-textbook makers are facing many challenges in both creating the perfect platform and convincing school districts to adopt them. To find out how the demands of publishers, faculty and students are changing the future of e-textbooks, click here.
Bill Gates Sees Technology Playing a Bigger Role for Colleges than K-12
According to recent remarks from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, online learning can significantly lower the cost of higher education. "College, except for the parties, needs to be less place-based. Only technology can bring [college tuition] down, not just to $20,000, but to $2,000. I do not predict some radical change in [elementary and high school]. K-12 is partly about babysitting the kids so the parents can do other things." Gates does believe, however, that technology is critical in K-12 education by allowing students in the same class to simultaneously focus on divergent subjects, which allows each child to learn at his or her own rate.
Report: Technology Not Used Enough in Classrooms
An online survey of 1,004 high school students, faculty and district IT professionals showed that while many high school educators consider technology as a valuable teaching tool, they don't use it enough in the classroom. The report suggests that schools should use more of the technology that students and teachers use in their personal lives, including iPods, smart phones, blogs and video chats. For example, the survey showed that 62 percent of teachers use iPods daily, but only 13 percent use them for educational purposes. You can check out the survey’s other findings here.
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