I chose this picture because this lady is not about to let go of her love for traditional books. She doesn't want the identity of the 'book club' to change with these new literacies. She is set in her ways and she's going to "dig her heels in," as we say in the south.
I wanted to read about the pros and cons of using e-reader verses using traditional books. I read a several different articles and they pretty much all said the same. The article I will discuss came from:
www.nbcnews.com/.../pros-cons-e-readers-vs-textbooks/
Basically, the cost and the
usability compared to textbooks may not be the best choice. In 2011, a study done by Alex Thayer
gave students at the University of Washington a Kindle DX loaded with
books. Because of the usability
issues, fewer than 40% had stopped using them in the fall. He says the
e-readers didn’t allow for “cognitive mapping” which helps you remember where
you saw the information in the first place. Many students switched to a tablet or iPad because it’s more
like a computer.
Another concern was textbook
availability. Sometimes certain books can’t be downloaded and many of the
‘free’ books are lower quality.
I think there should be a balance
of using the e-readers in your class or at home. I think there is something to be said about the need for
back and forth communication as kids are reading or listening to you read. We have all read about how read alouds
help with fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. I read somewhere that there was a study that showed too much
exposure to e-readers can delay language, it tends to be a more solitaire
experience and comprehension skills are lower.
Personally, if it were a
textbook, I would rather have it in my hand so I can highlight, underline, and
take notes. I like going back to
my notes. It’s a reading
strategy. Many kids I tutored this
year told me that they didn’t like taking the ThinkLink reading part on the
computer because they couldn’t use the strategy of underlining, taking notes,
etc. Something to think about.
I agree it's a struggle to determine which is best and for what purpose. I like the
ReplyDeletee-reader because it is small and easy to carry around versus a large textbook. I think with the improvement in e-readers and technology there may be a solution to the current issues we may have with e-readers. My kids have a Kindle Fire and I really like how easy it is to use and all of the things it can do.
I love my kindle... but I love my real books more. Kindles definitely do have some pluses like the size and storage amount, but I definitely agree with you about traditional literature's advantages like highlighting, going back to reread, and more easily remembering where you read something. I think books allow students to practice their reading skills more than E-readers do, however, as times continue to change students may need to be better with electronic texts rather than paper.
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