The U.S. Department of Education is pushing rural schools in Ohio to use more digital resources instead of traditional print, but that transition will be difficult for Athens schools.
At a recent forum in Columbus, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan advocated for digital resources, saying they are important for enhancing “innovation” in schools.
Since Ohio is one of four states with the largest enrollments in rural schools, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Education, switching to digital resources might be more difficult because there are so many kids.
Steve Gunderson, director of technology for Athens City Schools, said that using digital textbooks is a possibility for the district, but nothing has been decided yet.
“We’ve talked about it,” Gunderson said. “It’s quite expensive.”
Gunderson added he isn’t sure what will happen to traditional print textbooks if the Athens schools go digital, but he thinks there will be a period of transition where students will use both digital and print resources.
At the state level, there is no plan for implementing digital resources statewide, said John Charlton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.
But Charlton did say that $10 million is set aside for 2014 to build “middle mile connections” — broadband Internet lines that make transmitting data to rural schools easier.
Despite there being no plans to switch to digital resources, Charlton said Ohio school districts will likely make the transition because he said “common core” standards are requiring more of a digital presence.
“You see Ohio moving to online assessments and you see a lot more use of technology (in schools),” Charlton said. “School districts are probably going to start looking at priorities for where money is being spent.”
George Watson, division chair in the school of education at Marshall University, said the advantages of using digital textbooks is that they’re cheaper and weigh less than print books.
“Digital textbooks are kept up-to-date more, or at least easier (to use),” he said. “Digital textbooks can be updated immediately.”
The lack of technology creates a “digital divide,” Watson said, and it hurts minority students and those who do not have access to as much technology.
“I think there’s a fairly dramatic effect on test scores and what (students without digital resources) are learning compared to those who do have access.”
@gingerbower13
This article ran in print under the headline "Athens schools may lag behind from a lack of technology."
