This week, while reviewing Frontline's Growing Up Online, I was reading through the different interviews that obtained the perspectives of education and the internet from teachers and a student. One question to a teacher really made me stop and think... "We're sitting in a library full of books. Do you think this library will be empty of books in the next five, 10 years?", his answer "Yes". For some reason the thought of not having a library in a school, or a library in a town just scares me. I feel as though I am very supportive of technology, I love it and would be lost without it. But there is something about being able to hold a book or the smell of a library that is comforting and something I would sadly miss. As a student, I loved "library time". Just the process of having a library card and checking out a book is something I still treasure. I am sure in the future when books are non-existent and everyone has a kindle or iPad, there will be some magical way of going to a library and downloading a book that is somehow borrowed for a temporary time, perhaps this even already exists.
The thought of life without a library prompted me to do a little research for some guarantee that libraries will still be there for me in the future. I came across a news article on CNN: Future of Libraries, with or without books - Although this didn't provide much comfort in that I will be able to go check out a book in 10 years, but it did make me feel as though the library will still be there. One librarian commented about a library not being about a warehouse to keep books, but rather a urban gathering place. I see that happening in schools as well. One day our school libraries may not be filled with books, but it could still be a resource area for students to explore and learn about the great books and writings as well as how to research and find things online. This also made me think about student textbooks. I suppose one day they will no longer have a textbook and instead have a computer or kindle that holds all of their textbooks. They would be very interesting and could possibly be interactive and hold their attention longer than just reading and looking at pictures. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next 5-10 years!
I am sure I would love to have an iPad one day and read literature on that, but I think I would really miss my books.
One of the other parts of this that scares me is the potential for the growing gap between rich and poor to continue to grow and become the norm. I can just picture libraries without books and cruddy aging computers and iPads for people to try to use to read. WHat parent wants to take their kid to the library to check out a book if the kid has to use the parent's cell phone to read the book? I don't know, it just makes me a little nervous . . .
ReplyDeleteI think that reading for a lot of people is a way to relax and de-stress. To me, reading on a kindle or an iPad would not have the same effect. I have a brother who is a sophomore in high school. This year his social studies text book is on a CD that they have to read on their laptops daily. He hates it and would much rather have the standard text book, but it would be a neat option for students based on their learning styles and preferences.So yes Erin, in some way this is already happening!
ReplyDeleteOk, I'll offer the other side! I love my iPad and have read and am reading several books from it. It is lighter and more portable than the 562 page hardcover novel by Jonathan Franzen I am reading concurrently. Ouch, that one hurts when it hits you in the head.
ReplyDeleteBut, I like books too...like every other teacher in the world (that is one reason we are teachers). I would NOT want to read a textbook sitting only at my computer. The iPad is like a book itself.
I liked this comment in Erin's post...
"One librarian commented about a library not being about a warehouse to keep books, but rather a urban gathering place." Exactly! Like Borders where you can go for conversation and coffee.
Why couldn't middle level schools have something like that too.
The Univ of Minnesota recently announced that their College of Education would purchase 400+ iPads for each of their new first-year students. One of the reasons was that all textbooks would be digital and available on their iPads...plus the iPads would be used for field work, classes, and much more.