In California, there are 4 school districts starting a test program for electronic text books. I have written about and talked about this before. However, the rather expensive iPad has been chosen by the guys on the hill as a pilot device for this study.

In my own plan, the kids would be issued something more like a Kindle $300 or less and allows note taking and all the qualities of an actual textbook as well. The plan would include assigning the device to kids in 1st grade and it is theirs for the duration of their education in the district. If they leave the district the device stays, and if they graduate high school in the district, they keep the device. That was my plan.

The CA board of education feels the iPad is a good answer for this same problem. The addition of full color and video help is definitely understandable. My fear is that the device may lend itself to many other uses and will not be given the respect of a textbook. I feel that perception can also be very important when teaching or learning. A device capable of video games and other entertainment may spend too much time doing those things in the hands of immature users, our target audience.

The following is from the article:

Education firm Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has teamed up with California Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss for the pilot, which will take place at Long Beach Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, Fresno Unified School District and San Francisco Unified School District.

"This is a seminal moment. It marks the fundamental shift from print delivery of curriculum to digital," said John Sipe, vice president of K-12 sales at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Students randomly selected for the program will receive iPads loaded with digital versions of their textbooks for the coming school year. Their progress will be tracked and compared against that of their classmates using traditional textbooks to determine the potential benefit of a switch to digital technology.

Students with iPads will have instant access to more than 400 videos from teaching experts walking them through the concepts and assignments, rather than having to rely on the teacher's explanation in class. There is also a homework coach and animated instructions on how to complete assignments.
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