[ti:When a Textbook Is Online, Not on Paper] [ar:Christopher Cruise] [al:Education Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English Education Report. [00:04.26]Electronic books have changed the way [00:07.40]many people read for pleasure. [00:09.79]Now online textbooks are changing the way [00:13.91]some students learn and some teachers teach. [00:17.66]More than one hundred seventy-five thousand students [00:21.50]attend the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, [00:24.81]outside Washington. [00:27.18]Last year, the school system [00:31.06]used digital books in fifteen schools. [00:34.49]This school year, middle schools and high schools [00:38.86]changed from printed to electronic textbooks [00:42.66]in their social studies classes. [00:45.77]Luke Rosa is a history teacher at Falls Church High School. [00:50.81]His students work on school laptop computers. [00:54.78]He explains the idea to them this way. [00:58.08]LUKE ROSA: "I mean, it's just like a regular textbook, [01:00.47]except it's got it all online." [01:02.40]Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent of schools, [01:06.22]says with electronic textbooks, [01:08.85]publishers can quickly update the content [01:12.13]with the latest information. [01:13.95]PETER NOONAN: "The world's changing consistently. [01:16.05]And the online textbooks can change right along [01:19.28]with the events that are happening." [01:20.88]Digital books also cost less than printed textbooks, he says. [01:25.48]PETER NOONAN: "Usually it's in the neighborhood of [01:27.36]between fifty and seventy dollars to buy a textbook [01:30.79]for each student, which adds up to roughly [01:33.87]eight million dollars for all of our students in Fairfax County. [01:37.20]We actually have purchased all of the online textbooks [01:39.83]for our students for just under six million dollars." [01:43.04]So what do students think? [01:45.08]MELANIE REUTER: "I don't have to carry a textbook around, [01:46.88]so that's nice." [01:49.11]MARIA STEPHANY: "I don't like it because the Internet sometimes, [01:51.71]its like, doesn't work." [01:52.87]BRIAN TRAN: "You can highlight your work. [01:54.43]You can leave notes on your work [01:55.90]and it'll all be saved onto your account. [01:57.60]It's a lot better than a regular textbook." [01:59.37]Social studies teacher Michael Bambara says [02:02.83]the e-book he uses in his government class [02:05.91]is better than a printed textbook. [02:08.41]He likes the way it has materials for students [02:11.94]with different levels of reading skills. [02:14.84]MICHAEL BAMBARA: "Particularly this book, [02:16.25]that I use in government has differentiated reading levels. [02:20.16]So a person can individualize their learning [02:23.09]and I can individualize their instruction." [02:25.43]But the students also need access to the Internet [02:28.54]when they are not at school. [02:30.44]About ten percent of students in Fairfax County [02:34.68]do not have a computer or online access at home. [02:39.05]Stephen Castillo is one of them. [02:42.10]STEPHEN CASTILLO: "Pretty much I go to, like, [02:43.86]the library, I guess, or go to a friend's house." [02:45.88]Public libraries in the county have free Internet. [02:49.44]There are also after-school computer labs [02:52.99]as well as computer clubhouses supported by the county. [02:57.56]Middle school student Slieman Hakim is happy about that. [03:02.63]He says his family has to share a single computer at home. [03:07.18]SLIEMAN HAKIM: "All of my family works on a computer, [03:09.39]my sister and me both do our homework on it. [03:12.21]So I come here to do my homework. It's good." [03:15.28]Other school systems in the area [03:17.48]are also considering online textbooks. [03:20.37]In Prince George's County, Maryland, [03:23.20]a survey showed that sixty percent of students [03:26.64]have computer access at home. [03:29.02]Curriculum Director Gladys Whitehead says [03:33.22]an e-book test project is being planned. [03:35.96]GLADYS WHITEHEAD: "Next year we'll just have a pilot [03:38.78]with probably one classroom and one subject area, [03:43.00]so that we can see, you know, [03:45.41]what issues will come up with complete online access." [03:49.59]And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. [03:53.60]We have a related video at 51voa.com. [03:58.89]I'm Christopher Cruise.