[CALIBK12] California opens the door to free opensource digital textbooks

Thu May 7 12:54:24 PDT 2009

Good for you Neome.  If you get to do this let us know...and we may all
be doing it next semester.  

Barbara

>>> "Rock, Noeme" <nrock at tusd.net> 5/7/2009 12:37 PM >>>

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 
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.

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=58654Sincerely,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

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
Blog: http://notyourmotherslibrarian.blogspot.com

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
digitaltextbooksCalifornia 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 WarrenCoordinator of Media ResourcesOrange County Department of
Education200 Kalmus DriveSite Location:3001 Red HillCosta 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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