A pair of Alabama (USA) lawmakers are asking for $100 million in bonds to replace school textbooks with digital devices.
Advocates of the idea have said allowing children to use tablets or laptops would give them more flexibility in terms of research opportunities. With computers, students can expand on what they’ve learned rather than working from prepared texts. Aside from that, the devices may help schools cut down on the need to replace aging textbooks.
“A textbook has to last seven years, and a textbook just can’t last seven years,” Dial said. “The condition of our textbooks is deplorable.”
Critical thinking challenge: Do textbooks provide any advantages over tablets? For instance, do textbooks provide more choices of educational materials? What’s your take?