I have used MontanaLibrary2Go for both audiobooks and e-books. The instruction sheet I picked up at the public library is helpful in getting started. My only problem with checking out e-books is that I always have to wait for the books I really want to read. An email is sent letting a me know that a book I've requested is available.
A few of the elementary schools in Great Falls are dabbling with e-readers and ipads for students but are having a variety of issues with how best to use them. I think that most of them are allowing teachers to check out the e-readers for classroom use only. At my school we have a few e-books available on our computers but no e-readers.
The e-books on the computers at school have very handy features such audio capabilities and a dictionary are very useful with students with reading challenges. Students really are motivated to read using the books, but since our supply of them is very limited they soon tire of them. I don't think the school will be investing in e-readers any time soon but will continue to put a few e-books on our computers each year.
Here's a link to an interesting study on the benefits of E-readers:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/jun12/vol69/num09/E-Readers@_Powering_Up_for_Engagement.aspx
In mentioning dictionaries in your blog, I used them in addition to other reference tools while completing activities with my students using Ipads because the items we had in our library were over 17 years old!!! The information on the net was atleast current.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments about MontanaLibrary2Go, the waiting is the hardest part. Missoula has been using iPod touches for the last 3 years because it will work as an e-reader plus run other apps that can be used for multiple subjects.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hard -- we have these great tools, but we don't know how to use them in education yet. We'll know soon.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing to know about MTLib2Go is that schools don't have to subscribe if they have a cooperating public library that subscribes. Public librarians are usually more than happy to talk to school librarians about promoting the service in the school. It's a really good way to initiate some collaboration between the school and public libraries and to talk about how you can both market each others programs and services.
I like that idea.
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