I see so many other parallels spread throughout our culture. When my grandmother passed away, I took over her record player and her entire collection of vinyl records. I TREASURE these. Listening to music on a record player is such a different experience for me then listening to it on a CD or streaming on my iPod. I moved this past weekend, and lugging a trunk full of records and a record player from my old house to my new house was NOT fun, but, I still did it. I think this quote from the article"The Beat Goes On: How Vinyl Records Are Making a Comeback" translates very well to the book debate: "There’s something magic about vinyl that digital music has not been able to replace,” said Curtis. “This is not a slight against digital music, but more of a testament to the enduring value of vinyl.” I think it all boils down to digital convenience and the relationship one has towards different mediums. The stronger the relationship towards these tangible items, the more likely one is to seek them out and keep them relevant in our society.
Furthermore, I'm personally very interested to see the role the education system plays in the coming years. My first contact with books came as a child when my parents, babysitters, sisters, etc. would read me stories. Then, it evolved as I transitioned from grade to grade and had required readings for class. Even in grad school, we still have required readings from books. I was normally pretty active in the summer, so kicking a soccer ball around the field took precedence over reading books. Therefore, the majority of reading at a younger age occurred in school. What if students, instead of purchasing books, were required to purchase e-readers and do their readings on that digital medium instead? They will grow up completely wired a different way ... they ALREADY ARE. My sister teachers Technology to K-5 in Howard County. K-5. Yes....Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Such an interesting debate and only time will tell. I'm confident (maybe naively confident and hopeful?) we won't have to say bye-bye in our lifetime.
Furthermore, I'm personally very interested to see the role the education system plays in the coming years. My first contact with books came as a child when my parents, babysitters, sisters, etc. would read me stories. Then, it evolved as I transitioned from grade to grade and had required readings for class. Even in grad school, we still have required readings from books. I was normally pretty active in the summer, so kicking a soccer ball around the field took precedence over reading books. Therefore, the majority of reading at a younger age occurred in school. What if students, instead of purchasing books, were required to purchase e-readers and do their readings on that digital medium instead? They will grow up completely wired a different way ... they ALREADY ARE. My sister teachers Technology to K-5 in Howard County. K-5. Yes....Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Such an interesting debate and only time will tell. I'm confident (maybe naively confident and hopeful?) we won't have to say bye-bye in our lifetime.
