[CALIBK12] California opens the door to free open source digital textbooks

Thu May 7 12:37:20 PDT 2009

I think this is exciting news! I personally was planning in piloting something like this in our school with our IB students because the textbooks on CDs are not working well at this point. Now I will wait to see how the universities do on this experiment. Here is what I think is positive about this:
1. Students may have all their textbooks at all times without having to carry a heavy load.
2. Book processing, storage, damages, loss, will take a new meaning.
3. Cost: at first it may look like it will cost more. But when you consider that one device will have all textbooks and even some library books varying in price up to $150 per book (IB MATH), storage space, personnel to process, distribute, collect, access damages, and repair the paper textbooks, it might even be more reasonable going digital. As for theft, one will steel what one does not have. In this case all students will have a book reading device.
4. Access and equity might be considered as a problem. However, I think that many parents would buy the device to their own children which will reduce the expenses in the acquisition of the devices for those who cannot afford it. I know that at my school some parents I talked to about my plan to pilot this were ready to purchase it for their children.

Noeme Rock,

Teacher Librarian

Tracy High School - A California Distinguished School

Email: nrock at tusd.net<mailto:nrock at tusd.net> <mailto:nrock at tusd.net>

Tel: (209) 830-3360 X2046 & 2047

Fax (209) 830-3361

"What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it feels about education." - Harold Howe, former Secretary of Education.

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From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Barnes, Margaret
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:56 AM
To: Thomas Nixon; Barbara Duffy; calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu; Ann Sperske; GlenWarren
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] California opens the door to free open source digital textbooks

Some universities are piloting Kindle/textbooks this fall. The article is in eSchool News online, May 7th http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=58654
Sincerely,
Maggie Barnes
District Librarian
Santa Ana Unified School District
1601 E. Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701-6322
714-480-4784
Margaret.barnes at sausd.us
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From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Thomas Nixon
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:12 AM
To: Barbara Duffy; calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu; Ann Sperske; GlenWarren
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] California opens the door to free open source digital textbooks

The problem with using a Kindle is that there is no cost savings. Even with some sort of education discount, they would still be three times the cost of a textbook. Add to that the amount of money in losses each year (because it really is easier to lose a Kindle than a textbook). Add to that the number of Kindle repair and support people you would need to add as employees to a large district.

Think how hard it is to get a student to pay for a $70 textbook. Now multiply that amount. Also, Kindles would be high-theft items.

I do think we will be moving to some sort of digital reader. I think we need to be looking for an as yet undiscovered company that can make them for $40. You never know, but I expect that it may not be Apple or Amazon.

And, yes, Williams would require you to supply each student who needs one with one.

Tom Nixon
--
Teacher Librarian
Tehipite Middle School
630 N. Augusta Street
Fresno, CA 93701
(559) 457-3420, x. 570
Web: http://www.tehipitelibrary.org<http://www.tehipitelibrary.org/>
Blog: http://notyourmotherslibrarian.blogspot.com<http://notyourmotherslibrarian.blogspot.com/>

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From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara Duffy [BJDuffy at lbschools.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 10:27 AM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu; Ann Sperske; Glen Warren
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] California opens the door to free open sourcedigitaltextbooks
How about morphing to a Kindle for the books.  Wouldn't that serve the purpose?  And students would be responsible for returning them in good order just as they are with textbooks now.

Barbara

>>> "Ann Sperske" <asperske at nvusd.k12.ca.us> 5/7/2009 9:45 AM >>>
I read this and wrote a letter to O'Connell and Arnold immediately. Great concept but there are so many problems with it. Access. Format. Compatibility. Hardware. Computers. Editing, publishing, reviewing, parent support  and school board review of new adoptions. The list goes on. We don't even have enough computers on campus to have each kid trying to access a textbook. No computers in the classrooms. Funding issues. Broadband issues. Publishers' lobbyist groups. Database access for every school -- quality databases like SFPL has.

We need a teacher librarian at every school, heading every district library services dept, support staff in every library, fully funded school libraries, refresh protocols for technology, standardized professional development for staff on information literacy ... and so much more before they try out digital textbooks withOUT support.

Just a thought.

Ann Sperske
Google Certified Teacher Librarian
Vintage High School

________________________________
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Glen Warren
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 9:01 AM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] California opens the door to free open source digitaltextbooks
California opens the door to open source digital textbooks.  Here is a snap shot of the press release and the link provided below.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Launches First-in-Nation Initiative to Develop Free Digital Textbooks for High School Students
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today launched an initiative to make California the first state in the nation to offer schools free, open-source digital textbooks for high school students. The Governor directed his Secretary of Education Glen Thomas to ensure these resources are available for use in high school math and science classes by fall 2009, a critical first step in helping ensure digital textbooks are widely available to all California students.

link:  http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/12225/

Glen Warren

Coordinator of Media Resources

Orange County Department of Education

200 Kalmus Drive

Site Location:

3001 Red Hill

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Phone: 714-966-4208

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as if everything is."

- Albert Einstein

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