Students and Smart Phones

Whether you believe in cell phone use in the classroom or not, here are some interesting facts to ponder about how students are using their mobile devices.



Via: STUDYBLUE.com

The Book Nook

I want eBooks for my Media Center! It's hard enough finding funds to keep the hard copy collection fresh and current, but to add eBooks is even more of a challenge. Where to start?

I really wanted to purchase some Nooks since some of the students had told me they loved theirs and my BookEnds club was willing to purchase those. After discussing it with the appropriate people, I was graciously given 6 iPads with the hopes I could use the Nook app instead.

We anticipated a few roadblocks in the process but, with the exception of a few "bending of the norms" it all came together.

First, we had to determine which books we wanted to purchase for the book club, which were also purchased by the BookEnds club. This purchase had to be submitted and approved by district AND the BookEnds club officers before I could go any further in the process. I set up an account with Barnes and Noble online and added the eBooks to my wish list. Since you can add an eBook to a total of 6 devices after you purchase it, we went ahead and purchased 17 titles. Minus the cost of the device this is a nice savings!

Once I had my Barnes and Noble account set up, picked the titles I wanted, and the Nook app added to the iPads, I had one more obstacle to overcome...the credit card dilemma. Our district still works off of purchase orders which does not work with online ordering in many (or all) cases.  I was not willing to use my own personal credit card in this experiment so I went to Fry's Grocery Store and bought a pre-paid Visa for $25 (a small price to pay). The problem with the Visa is, if you don't use it, they deduct $2 a month. I am not sure if once it is $0 anything will happen. I was nervous about students being able to purchase from the credit card on file but since you have to sign in to Barnes and Noble online using your password in order to purchase, it isn't an issue.

Once I went to Barnes and Noble everything went smooth. I had my PO number, iPad, and account all set with my wish list. The employee was helpful and quick and showed me how to add the books to the Nook app. Viola! All the titles appeared on the Nook app but could not be viewed until the PO was approved after the purchase, which only took a day or so.

We now have 6 iPads with 17 titles for our after school book club. We have also purchased several hard copies of 5 of the titles as well. With a parent's consent a student who wishes to join the discussion may borrow an iPad to read the book for a week at a time. Our first meeting will be an in depth discussion of The Hunger Games!