Textbook or Netbook?

July 19, 2010

I read an article lately that suggested that in a few short years, the use of textbooks in classrooms will be a thing of the past. Instead, each child will have their own laptop computer with the textbooks downloaded.

My first thought was how fabulous it would be not to have to cover any more textbooks in September! No more cutting brown shopping bags and fitting it around the book! My second thought was how nice it would be not to see my kids schlepping TONS of heavy books back and forth from school, their backs bending under the weight.

I couldn’t really think of any downside unless it be the expense involved…the expense of replacing spilled on, virus ridden, and lost laptops. The worry of lost computers left behind at sporting practices and dropped from counter tops in the rush to pack schoolbags.

I wonder if making laptops a necessary item might also make it more difficult to monitor web usage of children. Currently, I ration and monitor the amount of time and which sites my children use. If they are on the Internet for school, who is to say cyberbullying and inappropriate usage won’t sky-rocket?

What’s your thought? Textbook or netbook?

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