Cops Spy On Anti-Speed Camera Website, Make Arrest

Arizona School Replacing Textbooks With The Internet

from the babt-with-the-bathwater dept

Mon, Jul 11th 2005 9:00am — Dennis Yang

This fall, a Tuscon high school will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school, replacing standard paper textbooks with online articles. The intent is to force teachers away from the habit of "simply marching through a textbook each year" by forcing teachers to create lesson plans based on available online articles. To completely toss out textbooks is a haphazard, careless move. While students with laptops are more engaged in the classroom (hopefully not IM'ing with classmates), to assume that a textbook can be replaced by Googling today's lesson is a tad aggressive. It's not that laptops are a bad idea in the classroom -- but, to implement them without a clear plan or curriculum is careless. Even the superintendent admits that "It's not clear how the change to laptops will work." While the intentions are good, school administrators are looking to put in a quick fix for outdated textbooks (this time with the PR-worthy cry of "The Internet Will Save Our Schools!") -- then again, at least Arizona isn't following California's lead and outlawing all books over 200 pages.

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8 Comments

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Block Sheep, 11 Jul 2005 @ 3:07pm

maybe so, maybe not
> To completely toss out textbooks < br>> is a haphazard, careless move.

This is probably true for new teachers, but not so much for experienced teachers who (a) have learned how to adapt to ever changing research (and policies) in education and (b) probably have already made a shift away from textbooks anyway.

For most teachers this is a gradual process of replacing each section of the curriculum as better and more meaningful alternatives are tried and discovered, so an abrupt change probably isn't a good idea, but it is sound pedagogy to replace as much textbook learning as possible with authentic exercises, activities, and readings.
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Ronel, 15 May 2006 @ 3:37pm

Pc's at school
I beleive that Laptops should not be in schools because they are good!!!
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Ronel, 15 May 2006 @ 3:42pm

Re: Pc's at school
not i acuucally mean to say that they could cause bad things!
Example:Students gan get distracted easily instead of focusing on why the teacher is teaching!
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Daniel, 12 Mar 2007 @ 1:33pm

Re: Re: Pc's at school
Thats true, but for the students that actually want to take the classes and get them over with this will mean cheeper prices and easier transportation for class needs (notes, text, wide range of info).
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Sarah, Kyle, Mikey, 13 Dec 2007 @ 10:01am

How do you manage to pay for it?
What do you do if they break it?
Do we need more tech support if we get laptops?
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Kristin and Haylee, 17 Oct 2008 @ 9:48am

Laptops In Schools
Right now, we are writing a bill for our schools KYA program to allow laptops in schools and to replace textbooks which can be entirely to costly since textbooks create new updates every four years. We do believe that they should allow laptops in schools. The laptops would pay for themselves in about 8 years.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Jan 2009 @ 6:44am

Re: Pc's at school
that doesnt even make sense
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steph, 23 Jan 2009 @ 10:05am

pc's at school
i think laptops at school would be the most wonderful thing to ever happen because u can aquire cheap good working laptops easily and textbooks cost a lot of money and most aren't updated. like the science books are still considering pluto as a ninth planet when now its considered a dwarf planet..also its alot easier on both students and teachers so deal with it...laptops over power the textbooks.
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