I get it. Ebooks are the future for their multiple appeals to students. Writing on paper is old school and so very analogue to students who travel on the information superhighway for hours each day. And if we educators want our students to be interested and engaged, ebooks are one great tool. As Jon Smith, a fellow educator states in his, article found here , "[Students] need to be creating content and be a part of the learning process. They need to show us what they know. They need to be able to explain it." Ebooks provide a way to move away from teacher driven learning to learning that is student-led.
As a potential ELA teacher, I see ebooks being a great way to get students writing. Jon Smith experienced impressive results getting multiple types of kids writing using this tool. What I found most interesting was that he found that this tool could be used across content areas is so many different ways. It was so versatile! Because students have an interactive and engaging way to express themselves to an AUDIENCE, it gives them a bigger sense of purpose behind their work. While some students may balk at the idea of putting their writing out into the world, I think many would embrace the idea of publishing it. Students now have the ability to create an entire report online, complete with outlines and places for notations. Collaboration with peers and teacher can happen online, both in and out of school. Parents can easily view what their children are working on and start a dialogue with them about it.
To effectively teach using ebooks, there are some things to consider. Think of TPACK before you try to create an ebook assignment. Does the content and pedagogical method lend itself to this technology? Also, with students downloading photos, art, or quotations there is always the danger of plagiarism. Be sure they understand what plagiarism is and how to follow copyright laws. A good source for this can be found here.
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