That is a wonderful idea- but only if the government provides all students with a laptop, sets up special teams to build a responsible on-line curriculum, and develops special teachers training programs, so teachers will be able to teach/fascilitate such a curriculum. Ah: forgot to mention the computerized boards they'll need-touch screens, if possible, in every classroom. Didn't he mention a budget shortfall though? Sandra ________________________________ From: Ask_Etni <ask@xxxxxxxx> To: ETNI <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 1:25:07 PM Subject: [etni] Governor terminates textbooks for schools Governor terminates textbooks for schools theage.com.au - June 12, 2009 THE Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has unveiled a plan to save his state money by phasing out school textbooks in favour of learning over the internet. Facing a budget shortfall of $US24.3 billion ($30 billion), the former actor said that converting to online study would also keep pupils more up to date. He said he believed that online activities such as Facebook, Twitter and downloading to portable devices demonstrate that young people are ready to learn from the internet. "A world of up-to-date information fits easily into their pockets and onto their computer screens," he wrote in the San Jose Mercury News. "So why are California's public school students still forced to lug around antiquated, heavy, expensive textbooks? "California is home to software giants, bioscience research pioneers and first-class university systems known around the world, but our students still learn from instructional materials in formats made possible by Gutenberg's printing press." Last year California spent $US350 million on textbooks, prompting Mr Schwarzenegger to sign an executive order to scrap funding on contracts from March. From August, high school maths and science students will be offered educational materials online and the opportunity to use digital readers which can hold the equivalent of 160 books. The Republican governor's latest attempt to balance the state's budget was defeated last month when Californian voters rejected a series of cuts to social programs. Mr Schwarzenegger has refused to raise taxes to fill the gap. ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** -----------------------------------------------