E-Readers: A Classroom Innovation

Heather Page

E-Readers: What are they?• E-readers are portable devices designed to display

digital versions of written material from books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed sources.

• Some e-readers allow users to access the internet.

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7058.pdf

E-Readers: Advantages…• As printed textbooks are becoming obsolete and

textbook publishing companies are moving toward online textbooks, the e-reader would make it possible for students to access an online textbook at their own seats.

• E-readers can store thousands of books which would alleviate the weight of textbooks off of students.

• E-readers can also allow multiple students to read the same book at the same time.

E-readers: What research suggests…• Using e-readers in the classroom, boys rated reading

more valuable and boys had a more positive attitude toward reading.

• There seems to be a greater passion for reading using the e-reader because it involves technology.

• E-readers can reduce the cost buying textbooks and library books.

E-readers: Disadvantages…• Costly

• Need an on-site technology person that can repair e readers

• All books in one place-if you lose the e reader, you lose all books

• Can not type on e readers

• Unreliable life span

E-readers: Classroom Utilization…• http://www.theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/kindles

(kindles and what books are loaded on them)

• http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/going-digital-using-book-30623.html (going digital: using e readers to enhance reading)

E Readers Adoption S-Curve

2008.5 2009 2009.5 2010 2010.5 2011 2011.5 2012 2012.50

10

20

30

40

50

60

% Adoption

% Adoption

Statistics did not begin to be recorded for those Americans that owned an e reader until 2009. For the entire year of 2006, 5% of Americans owned an e reader. For the year of 2010, 18% of Americans owned an e reader. In 2011,279% of Americans owned an e reader, and in 2012, 49% of Americans owned some type of e reader.

Technology Specialist as Change Agents• Tech specialist would introduce the E Reader to the faculty.

-show the teachers the benefits of the e reader and how they can be of use.

-has a few volunteers use the e readers in their classes and then discuss what they learned (this would be the innovators and early adopters, mostly the tech savvy teachers and young teachers)

-discuss any problems that teachers may have

- allow teachers to share the benefits that they found in using e readers

Technology Specialist as Change Agent

-work with teachers to incorporate the use of e readers

-teachers share things have done with the e readers in their classrooms once each month ( this would be for the laggards, most likely older teachers that are set in their ways)

-continue to work with teachers to incorporate the e reader effectively

Technology Specialist as Change Agent

-work with teachers to incorporate the use of e readers

-teachers share things have done with the e readers in their classrooms once each month ( this would be for the laggards, most likely older teachers that are set in their ways)

-continue to work with teachers to incorporate the e reader effectively

Why adopt E Readers???• Schools are increasingly demonstrating a desire to

utilize e-readers

• They create or retain a student’s interest in reading

• E Readers that have a text to Speech function give an extra tool to teachers for kids who learn better by hearing facts than by reading them

The need for E Readers:

• More textbooks being made for online access only

• Increase of the use of technology in the classroom

• The new Common Core Standards pushes for the use of technology

• Increases student engagement and interest in reading

Why implement this new innovation?

• Motivate students to read, while downloading new books and series instantaneously and cheaply through the use of an e-reader.

• Embracing e-readers is a growing trend across the country among libraries and classrooms.

• A good way to keep up with purchasing new books, especially new entries in a series, instead of waiting the average five weeks before the library can get them in stock.

• For example, "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, a popular young-adult science-fiction book, is available at Barnes & Noble in hardcover for $17.99, paperback for $8.99 and in an e-book format for $5.