http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol8/804-tomlinson-abstract.aspx
The Power of Digital Textbooks and Smart Books
The symbolism of textbooks is well-recognized in U.S. society. U.S. schools have relied on textbooks as a central tool to organize, store, and deliver educational content for decades. For years, it was common for textbooks to represent the sole source of information for students in a particular course. However, with the advent of the Internet, the typical classroom is no longer dependent on a single reference tool to guide instruction for students and educators.
The Digital Explosion
In the last decade, we have seen an explosion in the use of smart mobile devices and small, portable touch-screen computers with thousands of downloadable applications. These new technologies are fundamentally changing the way we live, entertain, communicate, and access information. Going forward, they will have a profound effect on teaching and learning within the K–12 community.
A growing number of education leaders are promoting policies that leverage the power of digital textbooks. Last year, South Korea's Ministry of Education Science and Technology announced a plan to spend $2 billion over the next four years to convert its schools from classic paper textbooks to new, digital versions on tablet PCs. At an October 3, 2012, luncheon at the National Press Club, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "I think we should be moving from print to digital absolutely as fast as we can over the next couple of years. Textbooks should be obsolete; other countries are moving aggressively in this way."
Traditional textbooks generally offer a clear and well?outlined approach to a specific subject area. They provide students with a common framework and serve as a trusted reference tool. But they are a static resource with serious limitations, especially for unmotivated students and students with limited reading skills.
DIY Textbooks
Today, more than ever before, educators have the unique opportunity to augment the use of traditional textbooks with new and innovative communication tools and resources to engage students. One powerful strategy teachers are using is student-produced textbooks called "smart books." Earlier this year, Apple introduced iBooks Author, a free app that allows anyone to create textbooks or any other kind of book for tablet PCs. Textbooks created with this easy-to-use authoring tool can include photo galleries, videos, interactive diagrams, audio files, 3-D objects, links to web-based resources, and simulations.
Students can create textbooks by themselves or as part of a group. Having students collect, organize, and compile course-related content for a smart book requires a great deal of research, writing, critical thinking, and creativity. Students and teachers can easily publish textbooks as a companion resource to the traditional paper-based text. This kind of project empowers students and allows them to engage in learning activities that are relevant to their digital world and promote 21st century learning skills.
Technology will continue to change, and new tools and resources will continue to be available for educators. The biggest collective challenge we face as educators is trying to figure out how to successfully integrate these powerful tools into our physical and online classrooms to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
The next time you open a physical textbook, think about how you can leverage one or more communication tools to allow students to explore alternative information sources, establish interactive study groups, and collaborate outside of the regular school day.
Young people enjoy and increasingly want access to learning environments that make use of technology, including use of social-networking tools, Internet-based search engines, and online collaboration tools. Today's educators have a wonderful opportunity to leverage student interest in technology to go beyond the use of textbooks as the core resource to guide the instructional process.
Jamey Fitzpatrick is president and CEO of Michigan Virtual University, a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established in 1998 by the State of Michigan to serve as a champion for online learning.
ASCD Express, Vol. 8, No. 4. Copyright 2012 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
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