eBooks
are now a growing trend in the classrooms that allow easy accessibility to
books for students. The millennial
generation essentially live on the internet and are highly interested in social
mediums such as texting, tweeting, etc.
Twenty-first century teachers should learn to adapt to these changes and
embrace the digitized world through the use of eBooks in the classroom. eBooks are electronic versions of printed
books, research papers, short stories, and magazines, just to name a few, that
can be read from a computer or any handheld device (Rosso, 2009). Although utilizing eBooks are widely
debatable, I believe that eBooks are beneficial for both teachers and students
and the next section will discuss several benefits of why eBooks are essential
for the classroom setting.
eBooks
are environmentally friendly and cost effective for schools (Sessoms, 2016; Dietzel,2002; Karsenti, n.d.). According to
Sessoms (2016), schools can constantly make curriculum updates electronically
rather than buying textbooks, which is costlier than eBooks. Because eBooks are paperless, it has a lower
impact on the environment (Karsenti, n.d.).
Moreover, according to Acedo and Leverkus (2014), librarians would have an abundant array of resources. A school
library can have a collection of popular books among the students in eBook
format, which is more cost effective than purchasing a large number of hard
copies. Furthermore, eBooks can be downloaded
to more than one device which allows multiple student accessibility.
A
typical classroom is filled with many different types of learners (Nolen, 2013). There are three main types of learners:
tactile, auditory, and visual. Tactile
learners are described as learning through physical, kinesthetic, and hands-on
experiences. Auditory learners learn by listening to someone explaining
something rather than reading it on their own. Visual learners need graphics
(i.e. charts, tables) and pictures to acquire the material because a loss of
interest may occur if they are simply listening to instructions (Learning Rx,2016). With the use of eBooks in the
classroom as a technological tool, it can accommodate all three of these main
learning styles.
eBooks
can be beneficial for special needs students, visually impaired students
(Goodwyn, 2014), and English language learners (Goodwyn, 2014; Martinez-Estrada
& Conaway, 2012). For instance, the
useful feature for vocabulary can accommodate this particular group of students
who need extra assistance with pronunciation and defining a word by simply
clicking on the difficult word itself. Martinez-Estrada and Conaway (2012), suggest that eBooks
are useful for English language learners by improving literacy skills. Survey results from teachers and students
proved that eBooks positively affected their learning development.
Unfortunately, there are several factors that would hinder my
progress to using eBooks in my classroom.
Lack of funding would be the biggest challenge that my school district
would face. My students may not have
enough computers and/or iPads to utilize in the classroom and that would
clearly obstruct the use of eBooks.
Another factor would be the instability of internet/wife access in the
classroom. If an eBook is not downloaded
into each computer and/or iPad, then it would not be easily available for the
students to use. Lastly, teachers may
lack the training to use technology in the classroom. Without the comfort and knowledge, then using
this type of technology would possibly be more of a hindrance than a
convenience.
Nevertheless,
eBooks would be a definite plus in my classroom. I have to be more open-minded and willing to
accept change. Technology can be a scary
thing, especially for veteran teachers, but with the right technological training,
assistance, and attitude, eBooks used as a tool in the classroom would
essentially be one of the best decisions a teacher would make in this
digitally-aged world. Because I teach
reading to English language learners and based on several resources, my
students would greatly benefit from this type of technological aid in the
classroom for supplemental resources and most essentially, improve their
literacy skills.
References
Acedo,
S., & Leverkus, C. (2014). Updates on eBooks: Challenges & changes. Knowledge
Quest, 43(1), 44-52.
Dietzel,
G. (2002, May). The benefits of eBooks: Learning with an attitude! Teachers.net
Gazette, 3(5). Retrieved from
http://www.teachers.net/gazette/MAY02/dietzel.html
Goodwyn, A.
(2014). Reading is now “cool”: A study of english teachers’ perspectives on
e-reading devices as a challenge and opportunity. Educational Review. 66(3), 263-275.
e-reading devices as a challenge and opportunity. Educational Review. 66(3), 263-275.
Karsenti, T.
(n.d.) 25 Main benefits of the ebook. Retrieved from http://karsenti.ca/25_ebook.pdf
Learning Rx.
(2016). Types of learning styles. Retrieved from
http://www.learningrx.com/types-
of-learning-styles-faq.htm
Martinez-Estrada,
P. D., & Conaway, R. N. (2012). EBooks: The next step in educational
innovation. Business Communication
Quarterly, 1080569911432628.
Nolen,
B. (2013, October 7). How students benefit from learning with ebooks. Retrieved
from https://www.southuniversity.edu/whoweare/newsroom/blog/how-students-benefit-from-
learning-with-ebooks
Rosso, S.
(2009). What are eBooks? Advantages and disadvantages of electronic books.
Retrieved
from https://whenihavetime.com/2009/03/09/what-are-ebooks-advantages-
and-disadvantages-of-electronic-books/
Sessoms, D.
(2016). 9 benefits of eBooks that make them valuable classroom technology.
Retrieved from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/9-Benefits-of-e-Books-That-
Retrieved from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/9-Benefits-of-e-Books-That-
Make-Them-Valuable-Classroom-Technology.
