Triumphant Textbooks The sound of pencils furiously brushing against paper fills the classroom. Students are expected to remember all that they are writing down. Everyday students are subjected to hours of sitting, writing, and staring at one of two things, a textbook or a tablet. Textbooks have been around since the beginning of education, whereas tablets are a newer innovation. Schools have to make the difficult decision of whether to implement tablets or keep buying new and improved textbooks. Although some may argue that tablets prepare students for life after education, schools should use textbooks in the classroom because they are less risky, are the cheaper option, and are easier to comprehend. To begin, the opposition argues that
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On average, tablets will cost a district four hundred dollars each compared to seventy dollars for each average textbook (“Textbooks vs. Tablets: Schools Begin Exploring Transformation in Learning Tools” n.pag.). For many districts the investment is not worth it. The money could go towards expanding classrooms, school supplies or helping kids in need with school lunches. The money could also be invested in athletics or school clubs that encourage students to interact with one another and stay active rather than staying glued to a screen. Implementation costs for tablets are high due to all of the possible problems that come along with technology. For example, technicians need to be on-site to repair tablets. In addition tablets are more likely than textbooks to get lost or stolen, and money is needed replace these devices. On average, one in 10 students will have their device stolen, lost or damaged (“Textbooks vs. Tablets: Schools Begin Exploring Transformation in Learning Tools” n.pag.). Also, another expense is wifi. Some students do not have working wifi in their homes which defeats the purpose of taking home tablets. Schools will need to budget for the actual tablets as well as wifi, repairs and replacements, making textbooks by far the more affordable
On average, tablets will cost a district four hundred dollars each compared to seventy dollars for each average textbook (“Textbooks vs. Tablets: Schools Begin Exploring Transformation in Learning Tools” n.pag.). For many districts the investment is not worth it. The money could go towards expanding classrooms, school supplies or helping kids in need with school lunches. The money could also be invested in athletics or school clubs that encourage students to interact with one another and stay active rather than staying glued to a screen. Implementation costs for tablets are high due to all of the possible problems that come along with technology. For example, technicians need to be on-site to repair tablets. In addition tablets are more likely than textbooks to get lost or stolen, and money is needed replace these devices. On average, one in 10 students will have their device stolen, lost or damaged (“Textbooks vs. Tablets: Schools Begin Exploring Transformation in Learning Tools” n.pag.). Also, another expense is wifi. Some students do not have working wifi in their homes which defeats the purpose of taking home tablets. Schools will need to budget for the actual tablets as well as wifi, repairs and replacements, making textbooks by far the more affordable