This is a video I saw first posted on Twitter by @chrislehmann.    Here's the 3 tweet conversation...

There's a little Twitter talk for you in case you wonder how it goes down.  

So here's the video.  It's obviously meant to bring a smile and maybe even a laugh, poking fun at the apparent differences between digital resources and physical textbooks from a student's pov.  But it says so much more.  I think this is something that teachers, especially those who aren't very comfortable or confident with embracing new technologies, could watch with their students and then follow up with a conversation.  Who knows where it might lead!?  If there is an openness and students feel that their feelings and ideas are respected, they may be able to help their teacher understand why students today consider digital resources to be a vital part of their learning.  This isn't to say that teachers who love their textbooks need to toss them out, but there does need to be an awareness that the rich digital environments where many of us learn do offer things that a textbook can't touch.  I may just pitch this video and idea to a few of my teachers and see what kind of conversations are stirred.

And one more thing...does anyone else think the textbook industry and the prices they charge for these static objects that don't even have hyperlinks is a bit crazy?  It's a racket if you ask me.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is funny. Textbooks are not old school, yet. What would those 5 kids on my hall that do not have internet do when they get home? Obviously, SLA is an exceptional school with outstanding resources. With this said, I use textbooks in the classroom to give the kids something to do when I am out and to help us review material. How in the world would college professors make any money without textbooks? Also, how would Coach Saban at U of A pay his players extra without textbooks?
CB

Anonymous said...

Jeff, great blog. Every classroom should be a mixture of technology and text books. The students I deal with love things flashing but the only problem is they have difficulty reading it whether it's on a screen or in a book. And colleges are still book orientated my freshman tells me.

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