Getting Ready T-6 Months

Having been encouraged to put forth innovative ideas, especially those involving technology, I renewed the request for some sort of e-readers to be used in the contemporary literature class. This sort of technology had grown tremendously over the last couple years, So, despite the costs, I was hopeful.

Through a combined funding effort between our technology and curriculum departments, the English department received one Kindle and one Nook to pass around among teachers and trusted students. For about a month we explored and researched the difference between the two, imagined how students would use them, and tested customer support. While either could work for our purposes, we chose the Nook Simple Touch.

What we liked about the Nook Simple Touch:

• Full touch screen
• E-Ink technology
• No web browser or apps that might distract from reading
• Use of E-Pub files, which is a more universal format
• Ability to download and read pdf files
• Compatability with Overdrive, a lending library of e-texts
• Easy word look-up, highlighting, and annotation
• Rubberized finish

The decision made and approved, the only thing left was to wait until fall when the contemporary literature class would begin.

Wrong! Lots more to do....