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by Tanya Krohn, Senior Marketing Specialist — May 21, 2009
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In today's world of multi-tasking, it's imperative to align individual resources with as many uses/users as possible—to reap the best return on investment (ROI). It's also a must to make choices that offer the flexibility necessary to see real results. Just such a conversation is taking place across the country with regard to the definition, or rather the re-definition, of a textbook.
Texas, one of the nation's largest textbook purchasers, currently has a bill working its way through the House—in the form of House Bill 4294—that seeks to modify the current process of adopting textbooks; to allow the state textbook fund to be used to purchase technological equipment, and to create a commissioner's list of electronic textbooks and instructional materials.
In February 2009, the Indiana State Board of Education reinterpreted their state's definition of a textbook. By definition, a "Textbook means systematically organizes material designed to provide a specific level of instruction in a subject matter category." As Gregory Fletcher points out in his T.H.E. Journal article, the board interpreted this to be inclusive of the use of computers, instructional software, Internet resources, and more.
And in Florida, budget cuts in the 2008–09 school year led to the loosening of restrictions that allowed districts to use instructional materials funds for textbooks or anything they wanted/needed. "We owe it to our students to give school districts more flexibility to utilize interactive digital content," said Dan Branch, Republican from Dallas and co-author of the House Bill 4294. "A traditional textbook is a vehicle for content delivery, but for many students, that vehicle is quickly becoming a horse and buggy."
Where do you stand on this issue? Do states need to reinterpret existing doctrine in order to pave the way for the integration of today's technology advancements and opportunities?
