My Vision For E-Books in Our Education System

I am truly excited about the possibilities for changing modalities in how we now define education and whether we , as developing Reading Specialists, having experienced ICT for Reading , will give ourselves a voice in the education system in Trinidad and Tobago. I am truly impressed , not on any superficial level of thinking that I was able to create my own e-Book (although this experience was grand!)but at the possibilities for a new wave in how we educate our students and what we use to meet and treat with their myriad of needs. I have a vision where  . . .


Instead of lugging a huge back pack of books, our students will have one small book loaded with all of the material they need. Schools will be provided with a number of readers and we can download books for the readers to fit the curriculum of certain grades. E-Book readers find a place in the classroom as they appeal to a generation growing up with technology. M.Ed. Reading students, isn’t increasing our students’ love of literature /getting our students to love literature one of our fundamental goals? This is an exciting, imaginative and enticing piece of equipment that will facilitate this goal.

I am happy for the concerned parents who once watched their children haul around a heavily loaded backpack.! Add this hassle to the cost of text books and now--- eBooks in the class room look like a natural. Presumably eBook text books will be cheaper than printed books which would be a great benefit! But, not so quick! Text book publishers and bookstores all have a large vested interest in maintaining the status quo. I suspect that consumer pressure will ultimately make them grudgingly change over.

                                                                                                                Lee