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

Thu May 7 13:09:14 PDT 2009

Online textbooks are just one piece of a larger puzzle. There is theentire
movement to go paperless. I have not had a piece of paper from a student in
over a decade and I would never go back. There is the challenge for teacher
librarians to create virtual learning commons that are giant conversations
rather than one way library web pages that are ignored and Googled around.
There is theneed for each kid to construct thier own information spaces
rather than be at the mercy of the juggernaut of the Internet. There is the
need to have the information professional - the teacher librarian at the
heart of building these information spaces and seeing that we are at the
center of teaching and learning - not a voice crying in the wilderness. It
isone of the most exciting opportunities of our lives and we can seise it.
Or, we can just wait to see what happens over a year or two and find
ourselves obsolete. I prefer looking at this, not as a treat but as an
opportunity.

One other thing. There are many many devices coming on to the market. Yes,
there is the Kindle, but I also understand that the Blackberry Storm is
quite good; there are many $500 notebook computers coming on to the market;
there are iPhones and iTouches and I understand there might be a larger
screen iPhone coming out... the point is that it may not be onesolution but
the student's preferred device. They are already learning how to carefor
their cell phones.. they can handle it.

On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 1:37 PM, Rock, Noeme <nrock at tusd.net> wrote:

>  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 <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=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
>    ------------------------------
>
> *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
> 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
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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-- 
Professor David V. Loertscher
School of Library and Information Science
San Jose State University
Home address: 312 South 1000 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
801-755-1122
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