Paper

Have you seen the text books kids haul around these days?

Let's have a high school kid with homework in 4 subjects; Math, English, Physics and Biology. Three of those texts are monsters, and the English book likely a novel. The accompanying binders seem weightless in comparison.

Would you like to haul that back and forth on the bus? I wouldn't.

Teachers are often old fashioned, and some decry the arrival of e-readers and such. I contend that they are necessary.

All those texts, and more, can be fit into an e-reader whose weight is measured in grams. Aha, you say. What about all the accompanying binders? Are they not also vital for a proper education even if the physical textbooks are not?

There have been kids using laptops for years for taking notes. Not a separate one for every subject. Just one. This year I've had an explosion of iPad toting note takers. I even have a few who are able to keep notes on their phones or iPods. I was sceptical at first, but it's true. I have tried to catch them doing other things, and have failed. It's the kids with the devices hidden away that you have to watch.

If the text situation ever becomes flexible enough, a student could carry an iPad which holds all their textbooks as well as all their notes. From a stuffed and heavy backpack, a kid walks out with a tiny electronic device.

Thing aren't really there yet, but it's coming really soon.

The paper addicts should try and get used to the idea.