Department of Ed Lays Down Law on Kindle E-Reader Usage -- THE Journal

Department of Ed Lays Down Law on Kindle E-Reader Usage -- THE Journal: "The United States Department of Education and Department of Justice have just issued a reminder calling for colleges and universities--as well as K-12 school districts--to make sure devices such as e-readers that are required in the classroom comply with accessibility laws. The federal action came on the heels of a settlement agreement made by Justice with five institutions that were running Amazon Kindle e-book readers as pilot programs. According to the agencies, Kindle devices aren't accessible to students who are blind or have low vision. 'If we don't consider individuals with disabilities when we integrate new technologies into the educational environment, students with disabilities can and will be left behind as their non-disabled peers gain the benefits of learning that are enhanced by technological advances. This result would be inconsistent with our civil rights laws,' said Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights for the Department of Education."

A review of Amazon’s enhanced audio/video Kindle books by Chris Walters | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home

A review of Amazon’s enhanced audio/video Kindle books by Chris Walters | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home: "the best designed apps for iDevices are fast, fluid, and a pleasure to use. I didn’t find the enhanced Kindle book sluggish, but I also didn’t see any reason to choose it over a regular app. For one thing, a dedicated app can cull all the video clips or audio files and put them in an easy-to-reach menu for quick access, whereas on the Kindle book I have to jump to the correct page. I’m not convinced yet that a book metaphor is the most efficient approach when it comes to multimedia consumption."

Reuters BreakingViews - Will the iPad Undercut Digital Readers? - NYTimes.com

Reuters BreakingViews - Will the iPad Undercut Digital Readers? - NYTimes.com: "After all, iPad users have already downloaded more than five million e-books. It may be that many people prefer a more versatile device that allows them to browse the Web, watch videos, read e-mail and download games and other applications — and act as an e-reader as well. That’s a potential nightmare for Amazon and other purveyors of e-readers. Think how jack-of-all-trades mobile phones have pushed out initially successful dedicated personal digital organizers."

Reuters BreakingViews - Will the iPad Undercut Digital Readers? - NYTimes.com

Reuters BreakingViews - Will the iPad Undercut Digital Readers? - NYTimes.com: "Pricing trends seem to support the thesis. E-reader sellers slashed their prices this week, some by a quarter. But even corporate clients with giant orders for iPads can’t expect to score any discount. Basic e-readers now go for well under $200 and will almost certainly be offered for less than $100 by Christmas, according to Gartner."

Education Week: Libraries Fading as School Budget Crisis Deepens

Education Week: Libraries Fading as School Budget Crisis Deepens: "Unlike the overflowing bookshelves of wealthier families, 61 percent of low-income families own no age-appropriate books, according to a 2009 study commissioned by Jumpstart on 'America's Early Childhood Literacy Gap.' They depend on libraries to keep them from falling behind in school."

Education Week: Libraries Fading as School Budget Crisis Deepens

Education Week: Libraries Fading as School Budget Crisis Deepens: "No one will know exactly how many jobs are lost until fall, but the American Association of School Administrators projects 19 percent of the nation's school districts will have fewer librarians next year, based on a survey this spring. Ten percent said they cut library staff for the 2009-2010 school year."

Textbooks ditched at Clearwater High as students log on to Kindles - St. Petersburg Times

Textbooks ditched at Clearwater High as students log on to Kindles - St. Petersburg Times: "John Just, assistant superintendent for the district's management information systems, said Kindle officials told the district that no other high school had embarked on such an effort. Schools elsewhere have used e-readers, but mostly on a per class basis. A Massachusetts boarding school recently made waves by completely digitizing its library."

Deconstructing NAEP Reading Scores for Cities - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Deconstructing NAEP Reading Scores for Cities - Bridging Differences - Education Week: "The districts in which 50 percent or more of 4th grade students are 'below basic' are Atlanta, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Fresno, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit. In Detroit, a depressing 73 percent of students in 4th grade are 'below basic.' Nationally, 34 percent of students in this grade are 'below basic.'"