E-Textbook Report

I had a wonderful moment last week.  I was able, really for the first time as a teacher, to assign a book report.  Now, I have taught English Literature and Composition for years, and have worked with countless students on reading, analyzing, responding to, synthesizing information - all of those higher-level reading skills which are so important to develop.  But I had never, until last week, assigned such a simplistic task: read a number of books and tell me about them.

Here's the best part: the assignment was for our teachers.

This is why: as I have mentioned in some earlier blogs, one of our goals is to increase the integration of technology in our small boarding school.  Remember that this goal came with its own, powerful external motivation: the accrediting body for our school district visited the school and made that "recommendation".  The recommendation had the same tone as when your dad used to say "I wouldn't do that if I were you".  In other words, there was an implied insistence to it. 

So, here we are, looking at how we can do that.  We have updated our computer lab with new laptops for student use.  We have a pilot program of Smart Board that we are beginning in August.  We are investigating the creation of a "digital campus" where students and teachers can post assignments, messages, rubrics and grades on student walls.  Next month, I will be presenting a proposal to the board that would make part of our enrollment the purchase of an I-pad for each student that comes pre-loaded with our software, apps, and - here's where the book reports come in to play - the needed digital textbooks.

This is the way I see it working, but I have neither I-pad to play with (coming in July) nor textbooks to cite, so correct me if I make an assumption about a technology's capabilities that is not possible.  When a student enrolls in our school, they have, because of the nature of our institution, had a rather untraditional high school career up to that point.  I am sent a pile of transcripts (the record is seven different schools by the end of tenth grade!) which I need to decipher.  I say "decipher" because the US credit system is like a national railroad system where each state uses a different gauge of track.  After that, I create an academic plan that allows students to fill holes in content and skill areas and either graduate high school or transition smoothly back to the States with a "cleaned up" transcript.  The next step I would like to see is handing that student an I-pad that has the textbooks they will need for that academic plan.  Need a semester of Biology?  180-day subscription already available.  Taking the SAT?  Access the prep course here.

Hence the book reports.  I want each teacher to investigate the offerings of digital textbooks out there and report back on their findings.  Are they interactive?  What will the costs be?  Is content complete, are they updated regularly, do they include teacher support, additional links, etc.?  So far, our best bet is from http://www.coursesmart.com/ which interfaces directly with mobile devices.  The reports are due next week, I'll keep you updated. . .