http://fox10tv.com/2014/03/06/alabama-senate-oks-100-million-for-digital-books/

I am not sure I agree with the expense to convert to all digital textbooks in the first place. I can see some benefit, perhaps, with junior/senior classes in high school having them, but the thought of younger kids using these devices bothers me. Maybe part of that is just my increasing level of being old-fashioned, but I think that schools allowing devices that access the internet for things, such as any e-reader, computer, etc. make it far too easy for a child to be exposed to things the parent does not agree with, if he/she is even aware of the exposure.

Are kids responsible enough to take care of these devices? I remember getting textbooks at the beginning of the year along with the book covers. I also remember that there always seemed to be at least one person who lost a textbook during the year.

I know lots of kids who are able to access Facebook while at school from school computers, and I thought those were supposed to be monitored. So, maybe adding the digital textbooks won't make it any worse, but at least with the computers at school, it seems like a teacher has a better opportunity to monitor what a student is doing on the computer than he/she would with students using something like a Kindle.

BamBam graduated high school in 2010. When he was in trouble for something, we took his computer privilege away. But, even then, he still had access to it when he went to school.

How is a parent supposed to be able to restrict what a child has access to when the schools provide these items? Between the increasing technology at earlier and earlier ages and the Common Core seeping into the public schools here, I see more and more families opting to home school. At what point does it become financially unfeasible for the state to continue to provide public education? Does it seem more reasonable to go back to more traditional forms of education and keep enrollments higher?

Maybe some of you teachers out there know how this would work and can elaborate.

The schools claim that they can't afford regular text books for all students and we all know that the "assumed" cost and way of covering said cost never works. Their is also the issue of child safety, ever looked at the percent of pedophiles who gained access to kids through use of the internet? While I was at U of A for both BS and MS degree's in Secondary ED Social Science, I was constantly chewed on for not going along with the entertainment mentality that permeates their ideology. They think that they are preparing the students for jobs of the future. No matter what you say they dismiss you with their belief that they can control what the kids can/can't do/see on the internet. While doing my internship what I saw in the computer lab/library was a joke; kids were more worried about playing games and getting on social media, even though those sites were supposedly blocked. This is just another way to lower the education of the students while blowing millions of tax dollars.

My 10 year old got an airbook this year in 5th grade. He's doing well with it. He brings it home nightly. They are covered by insurance. If broken by negligence, there's a small deductable. My 6 year old has one in his class for 1st grade. It does not come home with him until 4th grade.

Were they pre-loaded with textbooks and no longer have access to the internet in those grades? Or are they internet accessible?

They use them here. My 9 year old doesn't get to bring them home yet, but he reads all his books on his I pad he can access the school site and get what he needs.

They have internet capability but they have software installed to block a lot of stuff and the computers are loaded with monitoring software the school board can access to view every key stroke they make.

Nothing wrong with it all in my opinion. I have an 8 and a 6 year old in public school and my 8 year old is allowed, along with the other kids to bring her iPad mini to school. It is a great learning tool. Kids know how to use the technology and it makes sense for the school systems to integrate it into their learning experience. There was a time when computers weren't in school either but times change.

"How is a parent supposed to be able to restrict what a child has access to when the schools provide these items? Between the increasing technology at earlier and earlier ages and the Common Core seeping into the public schools here, I see more and more families opting to home school. "

You answered your own question. I teach in public school but my kids attend private school.

As far textbooks are concerned, in my school new textbooks would be a waste of money. The kids would have them destroyed after two years. I don't see tablets fairing much better. They would end up in pawn shops all over the county.

I wish I could opt out of paying taxes for the school system.

My kids go to private school. They start getting iPads in 7 th grade. Textbooks are downloaded onto the ipad .most of the homework is done of it also. My wife gets all of our daughters email sent to her computer. Not sure how that works. She brings the ipad home for homework. In June I owe 500.00 bucks for rental on the iPads. My youngest starts 7th grade in August.

Those facts make the idea a bit more promising. Are you, as the parent, able to monitor it as well?

I suspected that I might have.

I think it's silly personally. There is no substitute for being able to take notes with a pen/paper. I don't learn as well with computerized books. I print the stuff out when I have to read stuff like that.

Hoover schools are heavy on technology. They issue ipads to 9-12 grade and chrome books in 6-8. Not sure about elementary.

The ipads don't have 3g/4g. They rely on parents to have wifi at home. Students do much of their work on these devices and turn it in via edmodo and other applications. This can be problematic in so many different ways.

1. If internet at home is spotty assignments can be late among other issues.

2. Devices are lost/stolen/damaged at alarming rates.

3. Students may look like they are working on device, but many are listening to music, watching videos, sending messages and plain old goofing off during class time.

4. Potential predator exposure is dramatically increased due to so many irresponsible kids being exposed with very little parental oversight.

5. Cheating on homework and other assignments is SO much easier it's really pathetic.

My wife is responsible for keeping up with inventory of chrome books at her school. It's an incredibly difficult task that takes up much of her time during the day.

Making an electronic copy of a text book and sharing it to all devices at a school has to be cheaper, but the negatives out weigh the advantages in my opinion. I'm Mr. Technology, worked on electronics and computers for more than two decades. It has it's place, but it is NOT the solution to every problem as many administrators, teachers and politicians would have you believe.

The solution to learning is good teachers and great parents.


On the subject. I also have a big problem with new fire fighting equipment being electronic heavy. It's being driven by NFPA and other agencies. I have raised my concerns that there is no manual backup on fire equipment when electronics go bad. It happens at alarming rates and at the most critical times. I've been on an apartment fire scene with 5+ units on scene when two apparatus just decide to quit working in the middle of the fight. No mechanical backup, they are just dead right there. Sooner or later it's gonna cost a citizen or firefighter their life. I'm gonna skull drag folks who ignored my warnings when it happens.

I teach high school and we (my students) don't have pads, lap tops or a lot of this stuff. Even though, my 9th and 10th graders are way to dependent on technology to think and reason for themselves. I have a few seniors and they are still able to write a term paper or complete a major assignment without getting that 'deer in the headlights" look when I explain what to do.

This mentality that technology is needed for every aspect of school is a joke, the kids play more than they do anything else. Go find your average teen and ask them to write a sentence in cursive and watch the smoke come out of their ears. Now go to college and see what happens when they are told they have to write in cursive on their exam. Why not have classes that pertain to tech and it's usage instead of every aspect of education being put into these devices? Those who believe that their child would never do anything but school work on their tablets really need to talk to some of the interns in the public education system. Why the interns; because the students tend to dismiss the interns as they have even less authority than the teacher and often do things to see how far they can push the student teacher and it's the same regardless of where you go. I did my internship and other required classroom work at Paul Bryant, Central High, Brookwood Middle, and Holt High, it's the same everywhere when it comes to public education.

Cursive shouldn't even be taught in school. It is a waste of time.

It's not in most schools, but wait until they go to a job interview where they are asked to do so, believe it or not, there are some employers who look at the handwritten application to get an idea as to whether or not the person is called in for an interview.

In today's world I think it's more important to know how to use an iPad than to know how to write a sentence in cursive.

I think technology is great. I say go for it.

I seriously doubt if a person is qualified they are not going to get tapped for an interview because of there penmanship. Most job applications are filled out online and them resumes are submitted.