Instead of the 20,000 books the school currently has, the students of Cushing Academy will have 18 e-readers at their disposal. The learning centre - the replacement for what was once the school's library - will also have three large TVs, a coffee shop, and laptop-friendly booths.
The cost of this makeover will be nearly $500,000, but the folks at Cushing think it'll be worth it. “Instead of a traditional library with 20,000 books, we’re building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books,’’ says James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing.
He also has an interesting view on books in general. “When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books (...) This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’. We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology.’’
Eighteen e-readers seems a bit low for any school, let alone one that had needs for such a large library. Still, Tracy may be on the right track here; no matter how much you like books, handing each of your students a Kindle might simply prove to be more practical than having a library. What do you think? Are books obsolete, and will the students of Cushing Academy suffer or benefit from this change? Let us know in the comments.
More education resources from Mashable:
- Digital Textbooks: 3 Reasons Students Aren't Ready
- What is the Future of Teaching?