E-Readers not allowed in public schools?

[Kara A.]

I go to high school in the U.S. And with the new developments in technology and such they have a bunch of rules about what you can or can't bring in to school and bla bla bla. Like a person could have their phone but it needs to be turned off in their locker. they can't have ipods ect. its a very strict school and its very annoying. i found out today that e-readers like the kindle and nook are not allowed and will be confiscated  if a kid has one out during school. I have a sony ereader, it has no access to the store or internet access, basically its only books. thats it. i could understand if it was only ones that had internet or access to stores, but ones that only have books kinda is preventing kids from reading. 

My question is, what do you think? do you think that kids should be able to have them in schools? and if not, why? 

 

thanks!!!!

KARA

[Pardeep Dhaliwal]

Of course they should, one of the best uses of an e-reader is for textbooks. And even if they could access the internet, that would essentially make it a laptop. And my high school had similar rules about iPods and cell phones, but they definitely allowed laptops. Has your school explained why it's banning e-readers?

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

That's just stupid. As long as you aren't reading non-related stuff during a class, I don't get what the big deal is. If you're taking a test and you want to read on your e-reader after you turn it in, why should that be a problem? I get why teachers might not want kids playing hand-held games or listening to iPods (it doesn't necessarily support education), but an e-reader should be allowed.

[Kara A.]

all i have gotten over the lifting of this is that "At this point, they are not allowed. Administration is going to be working on a policy in the handbook about them though." 

There are not that many kids that have them, so its not really that big of an issue. Also in English yesterday the teachers specifically discussed the effect of ereaders and how the helped reading. And the principal walks around with his ipad all the time reading from it and using it in school-related work. i know that students are extremely different from staff, as they like to point out to us every chance they get, but  still.

[Caroline]

My school has similar rules, but they're not enforced. As long as we're not talking on the phone during class, it's pretty much impossible to get it taken. Ditto with other forms of electronics.

Next year, they're switching over to being completely electronic, where each kid gets issued a laptop and all assignments, textbooks, tests, etc, are issued online. They've tested it at my friends school which is also in our district, and it seems to work out pretty well. The blocking is insane though, and anyone caught using a proxy gets their laptop taken for the rest of the year.

 

I love the idea of e-readers for educational purposes. I don't understand the point of banning them.

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

I love the idea of e-readers for educational purposes. I don't understand the point of banning them.

 

Some of them do recieve wireless, it could theortically be distracting. But other than that, I agree, they should be in school.

[Samantha Jo Yoskowitz]

I have a colornook and when I went to public schooling, I read it all the tie because carrying books with me was dangerous for the books (back pack = hole of doom.) They would constantly yell at my for using it, though they told me we can read when I was done. I had not internet acess or anything of that matter. I once forgot my books and had them on there, so I used my nook, and they yelled at me. I think schools just hate technology that isn't theirs altogether. >.>

[Knuckled Turtle (Aaron)]

The problem is a lot of schools are technophobic and don't seem to realise how it can be used to better education. By the way, I agree with you on this matter.