E-Books

'The Horizon Report" each year outlines key trends to watch in technology. This year the report noted the near adoption of electronic books. On the first horizon - that is within the next 12 months they list electronic books as moving into mainstream. The report says that ...'the most interesting aspect of electronic books ...is the new kind of reading experiences that they make possible'. Reading will become more interactive and include links and video.

Amazon in its last month figures saw e-books outsell print for the first time. There are positives and negatives in relation to e-books.

Positives

• Affordable resources


• Accessible resources


• Once settled on a device easy to purchase and download


• Ability to spellcheck, adjust size of print, make notes

Negatives

• Different formats


• Copyright issues


• Cost of e-book in comparison with print version


• Variety of resources available - very little Australian young adult fiction available.

With most schools embracing the Digital Educational Revolution, access to e-books is high on the agenda. In my school we are currently looking into what e-books we can use as textbooks.

From a personal point of view I have Kindle for PC on my tablet and in the short term I use this to download items from Amazon. I have been using this as a trial to see if I wanted an electronic reader. As I wear glasses, the computer has made it easier for me to read print, as I can adjust the size of the print. I am not sure if I am ready to go the full electronic reader just yet