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School Swaps Math Textbooks For iPads

Posted by samzenpus on from the there-goes-the-tech-budget dept.

MexiCali59 writes "Four of California's largest school districts will be trying something new on eighth-grade algebra students this year: giving them iPads instead of textbooks. The devices come pre-loaded with a digital version of the text, allowing students to view teaching videos, receive homework assistance and input assignment all without picking up a pen or paper. If the students with iPads turn out to do improve at a faster pace than their peers as expected, the program could soon spread throughout the Golden State."

5 of 439 comments (clear)

  1. In unrelated news... by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apple announces free iPad program for school administrators in California.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Expensive by Niris · · Score: 5, Insightful

    California is in the middle of a hiring freeze for the State, and a huge deficit. Where exactly are they getting the money for these iPad projects for these districts, let alone for the rest of the State if they decide to advance it?

    1. Re:Expensive by BobMcD · · Score: 5, Informative

      Between the cost of a textbook and the rate at which they become 'obsolete' for the state testing...

      Are you asserting that books last less than three years? Because I'm relatively certain that there will be nearly no usable iPads in that same amount of time. They're simply not designed to outlive their replacement models.

    2. Re:Expensive by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      iPads are much more durable than laptops or netbooks. We've been evaluating them at my company. They are also much easier to set up.

      Um, ok. So, battery dies in an iPad, what do you do? You can't just put in a new one, the batteries aren't user replaceable. Flash chip goes bad in an iPad, what do you do? You can't just take it out like you could a standard SSD and load up a standardized image on it. Screen breaks on an iPad, what do you do? Its certainly not as easy as changing a laptop's screen.

      Also, you can't easily set up limited user accounts. Yeah, there are "parental controls" but that isn't going to be as safe as individual accounts.

      You seem to think that there is no problem with a textbook being 10 years old. Well, a lot you (don't) know about textbooks. Not only do they need updating much more frequently then that, many schools don't have enough to give to students. They have to share them in class and cannot take them home. It's a huge problem and a huge expense.

      Um, throughout high school I regularly used textbooks that were 10 years or more old for subjects that don't change Math, English, Keyboarding, etc. other than parts in the math textbook talking about a record store, it was just fine.

      And so, you mean to say that somehow a school can't afford a $50 book, but can afford a $500 device + $50 book?

      As for the $500 for a device. Well, that's as cheap or cheaper than all the texts a middle or high schooler uses and you didn't include all the other teaching content - interactive and all - that can be included. You can make parents share financial responsibility or assume all of it. We used to have to pay for lost or damaged textbooks. Why not iPads?

      paper is not the main cost all the iPad is, is just the thing to run it. The book isn't free. You are still paying $50 a book on an iPad, the difference is that the book is electronic and not physical. If the paper was the main culprit I'd have my nook loaded up with all best sellers and would be saving a ton of money. You still have to buy the books. Yeah, there might be a slight discount, its not free though.

      Like it or not, the publishers are all moving fast in this direction. Where you see that its because they can make more money I see it as they can provide more value and replace some more expensive assets.

      What the fuck don't you get?

      A) School pays $500 per student for an iPad

      B) School pays $50 per student per book for the iPad

      Is the digital model. The paper model is

      A) School buys a paper book for $50 per student per book.

      Yeah, e-books have some nice extras. Do they justify an extra $500 per student. Hell no.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Khan Academy. by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.khanacademy.org/ really does kick ass. I'm using some of his 5-10 minute videos to supplement my graduate level Linear Algebra stuff. Most of it's straight to the point and if I need clarification on a subject I don't have to turn to the book.

    Now how this saves money. I won't know. Then again text books aren't cheap. What ever happened to the OpenSource textbook that I thought CA was assembling to be 'free'?