This time of year I hear a lot about collecting and counting text books from my wife whose responsibilities at her elementary school require her to do this every year. I really think the days of text books are numbered, but only if a manufacturer creates a device that will meet the needs of schools. Amazon has a great product with the Kindle and it would make sense to me that Amazon should build an education device.
The new Amazon Kindle Ed. (as I'll call it) will need to be a ruggedized device capable of sustaining drops of up to 4 feet, because students will drop the device. It will also need to have a GPS capability so that if the device is lost it can be found. There will also have to be away for schools to limit what is loaded to the device. Bluetooth would be a nice touch also so that students can connect to other educational devices like SMART boards. It should also have a standard hard cover to help protect the device. Not only will this new device need to created school districts will need to have an incentive to migrate to an eReader.Schools around the nation are facing the problem about how they need to proceed with ebooks, and in the end either states or the federal government will need to fund the purchase of these devices, but before schools can begin the purchase process the unique and special device will need to be created, tested, and presented to the states and fed so that the solution is accepted at a national level. The use of the device may even need to be mandated, so that all schools around the country adopted this type of device. But let me be clear, schools districts will not purchase these devices unless they cost less than existing text books. What about the publishers?
Publishers will also have to adapt their business models to excel at the electronic publishing business. The days of printed materials are numbered, so these businesses will need to work hard to develop a way to stay relevant in the future. Maybe the publishers should get together and create a Kindle Ed type device and then they can maintain their revenue streams. Text book publishers can not afford to wait around or they will feel the same impact that newspapers are experiencing. More and more readers will be online/electronic so I say be part of the solution and benefit, don't be left behind.
Technology utilization in public schools is very interesting and challenging issue. In my opinion more companies should be developing new tools to be used in the class room. Of course R&D costs money but it would be money well spent because school districts will be moving to electronic text books the question is when not if. The technology issue also will need to be addressed in the state and federal legislatures so that funds are identified to help fund this move away from traditional paper text books to new electronic books.
So who will be the players in this business? I'd love to read some of your comments.
