I found the responses to yesterday’s post quite interesting, and before we get to the open thread I wanted to clear up some common misunderstandings about the Sony Reader and the Kindle (Sony and Amazon marketing teams, I accept free e-readers and Kings tickets. Call me.).
Steve Fuller summarizes things best:
“1) The screen is not like reading a computer, it is like reading a piece of paper. You have to trust me on this one.
2) Whenever you buy something, Amazon backs it up on their site, so if you lose your Kindle (or it breaks), you still have all your books.
3) The battery lasts for a LONG time and only takes a couple hours to charge.
4) There are options to highlight, take notes, etc. for those who like to interactively read a book.”
I would add: it’s not like reading on a PDA, and you can customize the font size. If you don’t see well you can re-create the experience of reading a large print book. If you like your type tiny you can make it tiny. And if you like reading in the bathtub you can put it in a ziploc bag. Try doing THAT with a paperback.
I understand that people have perfectly valid and personal reasons for preferring paper books, whether it’s cost, DRM, or the smell of paper giving you a tingle, but just wanted to clear up some of those misunderstandings.
Transition.
Open thread!!!
I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to stop by very often, but thought you’d like to get to know each other a little better. So cozy up, make some room on the sofa, and see where the conversation goes.
Possible topics:
– When Are We?
– Who’s Jason going to choose?
– Read any good books lately?
– How about that weather, right?
Miss Viola Bookworm says
Nathan,
I do see a place for e-readers in schools, and I think it is inevitable that they will crop up. I don’t think there will be a time where books will not be used though, at least not in elementary schools. At the upper levels, I definitely see how they could be more useful.
One problem here is money. I’m lucky to work in a district that has resources and money, so we do well with technology. We have computer labs out the wazoo and laptop carts for each department. It’s really amazing to see kids working, even at the early elementary grade levels, online with a laptop in their classrooms.
That said, there are many schools that don’t even have air conditioning. There are schools that can’t afford materials (ie. construction paper, markers, glue) for their students. My school has amazing technological resources and teachers and administrators who are educated and passionate about making our students twentieth century learners who need to be able to thrive and compete in a global sense. Again though, not everyone has these resources available, and it is really sad when you know the statistics and see the money schools have available. Right now is a particularly bad time for everyone, including schools who are having to cut teachers just to make ends meet. So in the very near future, do I see e-readers making their way into classrooms? Absolutely, but I think they will be a resource, not a replacement.
Aside from money, there’s the aspect of how children to learn to read. Philosophies of education vary, but I think most educators would agree that much exposure to the written word is the first essential component. The process begins with pictures though, and babies “read” with picture books. The process begins early, with the simple idea that a child knows how to turn the pages properly and make the connection that the images/story/words go from the left to the right. Again, this is going much deeper than I’m sure anyone intended here, but it comes to mind each time I read or hear about this issue: will e-readers replace books?
I admit to loving books and collect them, but I have nothing against e-readers, and yes, I suspect I will own one, possibly even soon. My experiences as a teacher of children from grades 6-12 and now as a teacher of elementary children learning to read for the first time do make me feel inclined to say that no, e-readers will never replace traditional books completely. Again though, this comes from my experiences teaching children to read, and I don’t see that an e-reader can adequately serve a young child learning to read on its own. A valuable resource? Sure, but babies and toddlers can’t chew on a kindle, can they?
This has turned into a big teacher tangent when I didn’t mean for it to. 🙂 I should have just said from the beginning: I think e-readers are great but don’t think they will replace books completely. And like you said, Nathan, change is coming. That doesn’t have to mean it will wipe something out completely.
And one other thing (sorry): in the high school classroom, textbook adoption typically happens every five-six years. For an English/Language Arts classroom, teachers go through a process where they select novels that will be taught at each grade level, and these selections have to meet district and state standards. These novels are the selections for that textbook adoption period, and they have to go through an approval process that involves parents and administration. A kindle would not provide a possibility for teachers to just randomly select titles that we want to use (I wish!), but it could possibly be cost-effective. Again though, these novels go home with students, so schools would be responsible for providing e-readers for each student. It’s an interesting idea though, particularly at the upper levels where so many novels and books are used. Classroom sets might be more likely. Unfortunately though, many decisions in education come down to money, so even though we as educators have the best intentions and ultimately always want to do what is best for kids, we often lost out on things because the funds aren’t there. This scenario, at least in the immediate future, could prove to be problematic because of money more than anything else.
Marilyn Peake says
Miss Viola Bookworm,
I agree with you. I don’t think electronic reading devices will ever replace all paperback and hardcover books. Computer and video games haven’t replaced board games, especially for younger children. In fact, popular board games like Monopoly now publish lots of themed variations of their original game.
Miss Viola Bookworm says
Marilyn,
You’re right. I hadn’t even thought of board games. After all these years, we’re still playing Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, and Checkers, even with all the various video game technology that is available.
Again, the difference between games and books vs. music is that music isn’t visual. You can listen to music, whether it is on an 8 track tape or an iPod, and the music will still be the same. Sure, the quality may be better, but a song is still a song. A game or a book…to me, that is different. That is not saying there isn’t a place for e-readers and that they won’t be wildly popular, but I still don’t think books in the traditional form will ever become obsolete because of it.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned either: we’re talking about this so easily here because we live in a country where such things are accessible, but obviously this isn’t true for every country in this world. Books, whether they be hand-me-downs, gifts, school textbooks, or library rentals, are more accessible to those in countries where expensive technological devices aren’t the norm.
sarahjane says
Nathan, at 9.55 on 29 January I included a question about international rights to audio books (specifically audio downloads as opposed to CDs). If you are able to address that issue sometime, with your agently (agentish?) expertise, it would be great to know an answer. Thanks.
Nathan Bransford says
sarahjane-
It all depends on what territories were granted in the contract with the audio publisher. Since a lot of deals are for North American rights, that means you wouldn’t be able to access the audio if you live in Australia. If it were a world rights deal or if it were, say, a British Commonwealth deal that included Australia, then you would be able to access it.
Anonymous says
Don’t be so green. My family operates a timber farm and harvests sections of trees on a rotating basis every 8-12 years and plant replacements along the way. Talk about a self sustaining process. So, please use paper, lotss of paper.
Anonymous says
Where does one try out one of these gizmos?
Wanda B. Ontheshelves says
I am reminded of…menstrual product manufacturers.
Re: “Unfortunately though, many decisions in education come down to money, so even though we as educators have the best intentions and ultimately always want to do what is best for kids, we often lost out on things because the funds aren’t there.”
_______________________
Large companies provide free samples and “educational” materials for girls because women generally do not switch products ever – so if they get a customer when she is 13, 14, 15 years old – they probably have a customer forever.
I think with an e-reader in the classroom, when the competition heats up, companies will GLADLY supply free e-readers in classrooms because they may be creating a lifelong customer – also when parents who have no intention of ever buying an e-reader, have their kids bringing them home from school, they may change their mind – i.e., the kids’ experience with e-readers will sell them to the parents. So again you are building brand loyalty.
I am interested in seeing how this shakes out in the coming years – I imagine parents’ groups springing up – we want our kids reading real BOOKS, not godless e-readers, end of civilization as we know it, etc…
I do think the disposing of e-readers (or any electronics) is a genuine issue that needs to be addressed – it is a horrendous situation that poor people in other countries are blithely handling our (American’s) old electronics without proper protections in place.
A scenario I wouldn’t mind seeing is a company providing e-readers in classrooms…along with a “teaching module” or whatever they are called, on electronic waste disposal…and said company is building state-of-the-art electronic recycling facilities in poor countries all over the world! Lifting people out of poverty and protecting the environment at the same time!
Get on it Gates!
Wanderer says
I SOOOOOO want a Sony Reader it’s not even funny. I’m sending ‘buy me a sony reader’ vibes to my friends and family since I have a b-day coming up 🙂 I currently read on my blackberry and while it gets the job done I want the Sony experience….hehehe
Kindle – not as zexy as the Sony but if someone happened to gift one to me, a happy reader indeed will be me 😉
Anonymous says
I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned this Nathan, I’ve only skimmed the comments, but:
Look at what is happening to the music industry, now that portable electronic music is the main format.
if e-readers ever really catch on, isn’t there a very real risk that the entire book publishing industry goes bust overnight? The copy-ability and portability of books is just so ridiculously easy. What role will the publishers have that can’t and won’t be filled for free by internet communities? How will anyone get paid? It’s not like authors and publishers can fall back on massive concert and merchandising revenues!
In any case, for a whole bunch of reasons I believe I will always prefer paper books, despite their many downsides, no mater how far e-reader technology advances.