Kindle Craze

Will textbooks become a thing of the past? Some educators think so. Amazon's ebook readers, Kindles, have gained popularity, but not necessarily in the classroom. Teachers are discussing the potential advantages and disadvantages of purchasing Kindles for their students.

There are several advantages to incorporating the Kindle into the classroom. First of all, about 1,500 books can be stored in one small device. It is lightweight (only 10.2 ounces) and portable. Students can slip this device in their backpacks instead of hauling heavy textbooks back and forth to school. The Kindle also offers a text to speech function that could help students with reading fluency. In addition, this feature could benefit students with special needs. There are a countless variety of texts available for download so the Kindle acts as a handheld library for students and teachers.

On the other hand, there are numerous drawbacks to using Kindles in an educational setting. The biggest setback for teachers is the high cost. Kindles are about $300 each, not including the e-books which must be purchased at an additional cost. They are not extremely durable and could be damaged if not handled carefully. Another drawback is that text cannot be projected or transferred from Kindle to Kindle.

Clearly, the Kindle could be beneficial in a classroom setting. However, there are still too many drawbacks preventing most schools from taking the Kindle plunge. For more information, read the article entitled "Will the Kindle Change Education?"


Image Source: flickr.com by goXunuReviews