Paperless schools choose tablets over textbooks

School districts that want to help students get the most out of every minute spent in class while streamlining information management are increasingly turning to paperless solutions. According to Maryland's Gazette.net, teachers at Buck Lodge Middle School are bringing new education models into the classroom by opting for tablet computing devices rather than traditional paper textbooks. 

The source reported that using tablet applications makes it easier for teachers to tailor lesson plans for their classes, and in addition, these systems provide students with a more multi-faceted learning experience.

"They can copy and paste the definition from the Webster's app, they can add a picture and it is much more multisensory for them," Buck Lodge language arts teacher Kathleen Galinat told the Gazette. "They tend to retain the knowledge and they are much more attentive to what the word is and its meaning."

Tablet devices have allowed teachers and administrators to try revolutionary learning practices with their students. One such learning opportunity is the "flipped" classroom, where students learn lessons at home on their tablet devices and do assignments in class. 

Classrooms aren't the only things going digital – school board meetings in Cincinnati's Northwest Local School District are now paperless, according to Cincinnatti.com. The district's new electronic system will improve business process management by eliminating the need for hefty packets of paperwork at each meeting, ultimately saving the board both time and money. 

According to the source, the new system has digitized every aspect of the school board's system. Meetings begin at the sound of an electronic gavel, agendas and handouts are distributed digitally, and votes are tallied using an online program. Following each board session, meeting minutes will be available online as well.

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