Year 7 parents - Books or eBooks?

[Tinks]

I am having a bit of a dilemma... DD2 is starting year 7 next year, they have an ipad program so all their text books are stored on those. It seems like a good idea, ebooks are cheaper and there's less for them to carry and all that jazz. The problem is, I can't decide whether to buy the ebooks or the real books - she'll be getting the ipad regardless.

She's going to the same school that DS and DD1 started at. The school went on and on about a laptop program they were implementing back then. They had to be purchased through the school, they were overpriced and never worked properly (DD's was in the tech's office for a term getting fixed at one point!). I did what I was told and purchased all their text books as ebooks only to find they were unable to use them properly on the laptop, I then had to go out and buy text books so they weren't disadvantaged. Teachers have since said not to buy ebooks for the laptops but the school kept promoting it.

Ipads are easier to use and more reliable than laptops, maybe it's my age but I think a real book would be easier to work out of. What have others done?

[Rouge]

iPad is way easier to work out of. They can add notes. Cross check information online. And often the exercises are on the iPad so it makes it easier if the book is too.

Carrying is also a plus. And it's harder to lose a book.

Our entire school is iPad only has been for a couple of years. And I think the kids efficiency has improved dramatically.

[PumpkinZulu]

I think iPads would be way more efficient. Plus, you're not buying books that have been printed that may not even be fully used, so the environmental impact is reduced in that sense.

[LimeSlice]

How does DD2 learn best? Is she a visual or pictorial learner?

Personally, I loathe ebooks, and I would have loathed having them in high school - I still print out hundreds of pages of online uni material every semester. I *like* something in my hands - I like being able to have various pages open at once, studying is easier, I can see things more clearly. I can highlight, and annotate, and collate, and *see* everything better. All of my text books are written in and highlighted and tagged. It is the most effective way I learn.

So all other things aside, you will need to work out if an ipad screen is going to be sufficient enough for DD2's primary method of effective learning.

[AnyDream]

Research indicates that people remember factual info better when using paper-based books. Paper taps into different spatial/sensory info that makes it easier for the reader to get a grip on the content, process it and retrieve what they need after reading. Get the paper books.

More info here: http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...paper-screens/

[Rouge]

*Some research.

I've found articles to suggest the opposite.

Like lime says it really comes down to preference. And this seems to be more true in all the studies done across the board.

[Trillian]

It's definitely a preference thing. Through uni I would buy the textbooks, but I would also look at a lot of content online as well depending on my needs. I think if there was a book that you knew she would get a lot of benefit from and would use a lot, then buy the book, but things that you know she's not going to use much then get the ebook. DS1's school gave them all laptops at the start of year 7 (he will get a new one next year going into year 9) and they have everything they need stored on the laptop so I've not had to buy textbooks for him, but then they also have the books at school available to them to use too.

[Amaunet]

As a teacher, one of the main high school complaints (from kids and parents) is the weight of their school bags Go the ebook!

[~clover~]

I use my tablet for all my studying... But I write almost everything down, because I find 1, I take it in better. & 2, it is easier to access during assessments etc.

But I learned with pen & paper. Kids these days learn everything on a screen & maybe some of them would prefer this as it's just how it is for them.

[feeb]

I am same as Limeslice said I like to print things and highlight on it and scribble notes. My uni course that all modules were online I still printed out majority of the readings as I could not understand, follow and take in info reading all online.

But I do like idea of a school bag being light as I recall how heavy a bag was with a million books!

[beansbeans!]

Can you print pages from the ebook?

[Trillian]

You should be able to print.

[Tinks]

I'm not sure if they can print from ipads at school but they can at home.

[Amaunet]

I'm a high school teacher at a public school, our kids don't buy textbooks - we supply them for the lesson and (in my subject) they stay in the classroom. So they don't have the ability to write/highlight in them anyway. I wouldn't think they would really even need to until senior years anyway.

[LimeSlice]

I'm a high school teacher at a public school, our kids don't buy textbooks - we supply them for the lesson and (in my subject) they stay in the classroom. So they don't have the ability to write/highlight in them anyway. I wouldn't think they would really even need to until senior years anyway.

Wow. That disturbs my brain. I can't get my head around not owning my own text book, let alone not having a need to study it until senior levels. LOL

[Amaunet]

Unfortunately, you cannot make students/parents purchase them. I even provide exercise books (paid for myself) for about 10/15% of my students! We provide study/review materials and they "study" the notes and activities we take/do in class. We make sure the class work covers what they will need to review and revise. We cannot allow then to take the books home as we use them for multiple classes and a lot would not return them. The prevalence of the internet has made it much easier and we can provide email and web based resources as well but at least. 2-4 students in every class still don't have access at home.
To be honest, text books are not an optimal method of teaching or learning for junior (or any) student and I really only use them sparingly anyway I much prefer other methods/activities as do the students!