California Project To Introduce Digital Textbooks May Benefit Kindle June 20, 2009
Posted by janey in : success books , comments closedAmazon marketing executives must have been over the moon upon hearing Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s announcement of his state’s first-in-the nation initiative to replace traditional paper textbooks with free online digital textbooks. This is not some vision of the future, the scheme is set to commence in August of 2009. Science and Math textbooks will be replaced in the first stage with other subjects to follow.
An initial list of standards aligned digital textbooks covering subjects such as geometry, trigonometry, calculus, physics, algebra, chemistry, biology and earth science course will be launched in August. A number of electronic books have already been submitted and are going through the review process. Academic publishers and content providers have been asked to submit further materials for consideration by the California Learning Resources Network. The final date for submission is June 15 to allow for review in time for the upcoming academic year.
The second phase of the initiative, presently in development, will make the new digital textbooks available to all grades. Interactive content will be included and a state wide web site highlighting books available will be the long term goal.
The program could potentially save Californian schools millions of dollars. It’s estimated that a school district with around 10,000 high school students could recoup $2 million dollars by using free downloadable textbooks in just science and math classes. In 2008, the State of California spent $350 million on textbooks and other printed learning material. Upon the adoption of digital textbooks a good portion of this money will become available for use in other areas.
Another advantage envisaged is that, because digital textbooks are more easily updated, it will be easier for students to learn about technical advances and current discoveries as they happen. Conventional paper textbooks tend to be updated, on average, every 6 years – which could mean that, at the back end of the cycle, students could be missing six years of information.
It also seems probable that alternative, interactive learning methods could be introduced once the project is up and running.
Now, it’s probably worth noting that at no point in his announcement did Governor Schwarzenegger make any mention of Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader – or any of its competitors for that matter. In fact he said that it would be possible for schools to benefit even without computers or laptops as teachers could print out the material and that would still work out considerably cheaper than a traditional text book. So why is the internet buzzing about this “wonderful news” for Amazon?
Well, the latest addition to the Amazon Kindle ebook reader family, the Kindle DX, launched on June 10 – just5 days after Governor Schwarzenegger’s announcement. It is a ideal for reading newspapers, magazines and – wait for it – academic textbooks.
Amazon have already established agreements with at least three academic publishers and some higher education establishments have publicly announced that they make the Kindle available to their students. All things considered, Amazon are currently better placed to take advantage of a sudden introduction of new digital technology in the academic world than most of their competitors.
That’s not to say that they will have it all their own way of course. Sony have teamed up with Google to make Google’s vast collection of public domain ebooks available to owners of their PRS ebook reader, a clear indication that neither Google or Sony are willing to yield the potentially huge and highly profitable ebook market to Amazon without a fight. Other competitors also exist and it will be interesting to see how they respond to developments in the market in general and the academic sector in particular.
Meanwhile, it does seem as if Governor Schwarzenegger’s innovative plan for California’s educational future is likely to help sales of Amazon’s reader, Kindle accessories and books from Amazon’s Kindle store. It seems likely that other states will consider similar schemes and the academic sector of the book market could hot up very rapidly indeed. Of course, the academic textbook sector is just one market segment – but it does seem to be leading the way. It also offers Amazon and its competition an ideal opportunity to “get ‘em while they’re young” and foster brand recognition and loyalty which could influence buying choices in later life.
The First Step To Real Success January 30, 2009
Posted by janey in : success books , comments closedWe can measure success from two points. The external the internal. Externally it means the measure of the job. Well done and recognized. Internally it means the feeling of achievement. The feeling which comes from the completion of some work. At the fulfillment of some desire. It is a true statement. The outer performance and the inner joy which comes when we know we have performed well.
Our goals are always a face of our desires. When we fulfill that achieve something. We feel happy and satisfied. But again another desire arises and we feel incomplete. We start again for that goal. Sometimes when reach our goals. We feel a void and we don’t know what to do next? Success can also be meant as the feeling of comfort that we have within ourselves. It happens when we live according to our intrinsic nature. If we accomplish our goal and still find something lacking. Then we know that either our goal was not desirable. Or the means adopted were not according to nature. Your success is your number one priority, then check out success by hypnosis, go for power of conversational hypnosis
The philosophy of MODERN MANAGEMENT says- ‘if a person is satisfied. There is a lack of motivation.’ It’s a negative approach. If we are positively satisfied, we’ll share our feelings with others. Our motivational level gets higher. We’ll want to work more. We’ll work more efficiently. The founder of CHINMAYA MISSION, SWAMI CHINMAYA ANANDA. He went all over the world. Not because of any of his desires. But only in order of a joy of sharing what he had. He did so for others benefit. He wanted them to take his knowledge. It was a true satisfaction. Giving happiness to self and others is the TRUE SUCCESS.
Success should always embrace the aspects of life. Some people are heroes at work. But result losers in their family arena. Some are good with their family. But of no use to society. We should be an all rounder. A whole individual,just as god pretended us to be.
