Teal in Tacoma
By Ariana B. Ashley G. Heaven L. and Summer Z.
Informational News Story; Tablets vs. Textbooks
For the past couple years there has been a lot of controversy; schools using tablets to teach the upcoming generations instead of using the traditional textbooks. Not only has there been many facts to prove textbooks are better for teaching children, but many students prefer it.
There are many different reasons why using tablets in schools has a negative outcome. But one of the biggest issues is that using handheld devices can be associated with a lot of health problems. If handheld devices are used for too long people can get computer vision syndrome. This can cause eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes.
Another major issue with using tablets in schools is they’re more expensive than textbooks. Of course buying one tablet versus buying several different required textbooks is less expensive but we must think about the textbooks we have to download and how expensive those are. You can always find free textbooks online but they come with restraints; you can’t always get the whole book, the glossary, the index, or table of contents but in some classes those get used on the daily basis. The only solution would be to find those required textbooks online and pay to download them. But another problem comes with that; what if that specific book you need is no longer on the internet due to new revised book? What if that revised book isn’t apart of the curriculum you are required to teach?
By adding tablets in schools, that requires several things to be done. For example the tablets have to be bought, the software and curriculum would have to be purchased, stronger wifi would have to be installed, also intensive training would have to be done so teachers know how to use them. Not to mention the blocking of social media and other sites the school district does not want their students to be going on.
You can argue that by using tablets, it will make learning more interesting and engaging for students. This may be true but tablets would just become a distraction. By having tablets students don't only just have access to books or educational applications. They can access different social medias, games, and music. These are all things that can disturb the learning process.
In conclusion, using tablets in school is just not what education is about. Students have always used pen and paper to do what they need to do with no problem. So why change now? Scientists have proven that by using a textbook students find it easier to retain the information and they have found it easier to go back and highlight or mark the text to help review for tests and exams.-Heaven Lee
TABLETS
TEXTBOOK APPS
WIFI
EDITORIAL
-Summer Zuchowski
Textbooks versus tablets has been a very controversial subject the past few years. Some people say that working on the new technology is good for the kids of today. Some say they need to stick to the books. Both resources have the same information so whats the difference?
Everyone has used a textbook in their life before. People know how to read them and all you have to do to read more is to turn the page. Tablets are a more complex resource that kids are going to have to learn to use, but why now? Kids don’t have to be online looking up information. Since you can look anything up it’s a big temptation. This also leads to young people getting involved with social media, which can also lead to cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying is a serious issue that hurts people everyday and some people end up committing suicide over it. Over 50% of adolescents have been cyber-bullied at least once in their life. 20% of kids cyber-bullied think about suicide, and 1 in 10 attempt it.
Yes the school will block the social media sites on the school tablets but they can’t do anything about the children at home. Introducing this sort of technology to children at a young age gives them a longer time to learn to control the tablets so they know what they do, what they can see, and anything else they want. Technology is a great thing and is progressing more and more each day, but stick to the books. If technology can do this much harm, why bring it to children's lives even more than it is now?
WEDNESDAY April 28, 2015
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Letter to the Editor
Of course cyber-bullying is going to happen and if we could diminish it from the world we live in, it would be amazing. But that's just not realistic. Cyber-bullying is going to happen whether we like it or not. However, we can control whether our children get the best education possible.
I feel tablets replacing textbooks is a good idea. When students have to carry around several books that weigh anything between 5 and 10 pounds we are causing our children back pain and spinal problems later on in life. When we hand a child a tablet that weighs less than 5 pounds, we are relieving their bodies of unnecessary weight.
Although tablets do allow our kids to access social media and other websites not school related, we are opening their eyes to a world that can't be introduced through books; the world of technology. Internet not only permits "bad" sites but it provides many networks that will administer helpful facts and such to the students at the touch of their fingertips.
The world is changing for the good. So many things can be done without even leaving your home; food shopping, clothes shopping, any kind of shopping you can imagine. We need to prepare our children for the world they're going to be living in. And the only way to do that is to open their eyes to technology at a young age. The technological world is growing and many jobs are opening up in those fields, and as parents and concerning individuals we want the best for the next generation.
-Ashley Gibbs