eBook News

If we could decide on a base format, such as EPUB, then we could instead of buying textbooks, just set a textbook DRM to one year, and then lend digital textbooks to students using their own devices. The idea of students using their own devices could open up lots of opportunities and savings for school systems. Yes, I'm sure that some student's wouldn't have their own device, but there the school could lease or check out ones to the students who don't have their own. As a non-tax or deductible item parents could purchase ebook devices for their students - perhaps at a discount, and then use them in schools. Schools wouldn't have to purchase an ebook device for every student, just those who were unable to get their own. I'm pretty sure also that as the devices become more available and customization occurs (skins and such) that more students would want to get their own, instead of the school issued one. I believe that cell phones could be a proof of concept tool.

This month (actually starting on July 1) Florida's Digital Learning Now Act went into place. This act requires schol districts to establish virtual instruction options, authorizes blended learning courses, adds new requirements for Florida Virtual School, requires fill & part-time school district virtuaion instruction, and requires an online learning course for high school graduation. But what does this have to do with ebooks you might ask? As an online teacher, I feel it has a lot to do. Using ebooks for my online classes has made things a lot easier for myself and my students. I don't have issues of them ordering and how long it takes for it to arrive (my worst case was for a student who ended up out of country when the course started and if he had had to wait for the printed version, it would have taken over a month for it to get there - the course would have been half over by then). If the general instruction of a class is delivered electronically then it also makes sen