Aug. 4, 2000
A Utah company claims it can solve the school textbook problem.
New technology will provide books for every student. And, as Education Specialist Nadine Wimmer reports, that's just for starters.
Every child, with a new textbook, in every class, every year--for less money?
Take a look.
The shelves of Utah's schools hold textbooks that are falling apart, decades old and in short supply.
Vicky Dahn/State Curriculum: "WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY INDIVIDUAL TEXTBOOKS FOR ALL THE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE INFORMATION CHANGING AS RAPIDLY AS IT DOES."
But now this cross between a palm pilot and a laptop offers students a virtual textbook.
It actually holds the equivalent of 20 books, a calculator
and a dictionary.
It's easily updated,
and it costs about half the price of the average students' stack of books.
That cost-savings didn't go unnoticed when Governor Leavitt got his tutorial on this promising new technology.
Governor Mike Leavitt: "THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE NEW TEXTBOOKS FOR AS LITTLE AS $3, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE CAN REPRODUCE THEM ELECTRONICALLY."
"THIS REALLY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENRICH EDUCATION AS WELL AS BE MORE EFFICIENT."
Nadine Wimmer: "HERE'S ANOTHER BENEFIT OF THIS VIRTUAL TEXTBOOK. NO MORE OF THOSE 25 POUND BACKPACKS. STUDENTS CAN TAKE THE LOAD OFF WHEN THEY DON'T NEED TO CARRY A BOOK FOR MATH, A BOOK FOR SCIENCE, A BOOK FOR HEALTH AND A BOOK FOR HISTORY."
The V-Slate, as it's called, also allows students to take tests. They can type in answers.
And using a transmitter that works like a cell phone, the schools' network can correct the answers and record the score.
Educators believe these and other features will likely be a hit with teachers.
"I THINK THEY'LL UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS, ABSOLUTELY."
If all goes as planned, this textbook of the future will soon be a present-day learning tool for students across the country.
The V-Slate will be piloted in several Utah schools starting this fall.
The Orem company is also in talks with school districts in several states.
