In recent decades the usage of online textbooks has been on the rise. In most schools this is prevalent but that isn’t the case for Milford High school.

Walter tuck, a Milford High school 9th grader, says “online textbooks are great and help me learn but we really don’t utilize all that much”

Milford High school only offers four classes that use online textbooks and most of them

do not use them regularly. Although, Milford offers a couple of completely online classes like Mandarin Chinese.

One of the many language courses offered at Milford High school is Spanish.

All of the Spanish classes have online textbooks that serve the single purpose of a at-home resource not something to be used in the classroom.

Milford High school Spanish teacher, Elizabeth Smith, says “In the long run online textbooks are much cheaper and up to date.”

Smith also states, “Technology doesn’t always work.”

This is a logical problem for any school when choosing to be fully digital or not in the

classroom. If the technology doesn’t work then the students would be restricted from learning for that day.

Marketing Manager of SecurEdge Networks Danny Mareco states in his article 31 Reasons You Should be Using Ipads In The Classroom that 86% of students believe that tablets can help them study more efficiently.

The President of the United States of America Barack Obama says by 2017 an e-textbook should be in every student’s hand in the nation. Obama states, “We spend $7 billion dollars a year on paper textbooks, and for many students they are out of date.”

Back in Milford, one of the many math teachers of Milford High school, Jennifer Van Gothem, says that since colleges predominantly use online textbooks, getting the students exposed and comfortable with them is a necessity for their success at the collegiate level.

But the digital future is not quite on the horizon just yet for small-town Milford High school. Many students do not have the money to pay for such technologies and school itself is most likely reluctant to splash the cash on such a large investment for their students. If the school were to make it optional, meaning if you can afford it you can use it, this could widen the hiatus between the poor and rich. This could result in more and more cases of bullying which is exactly not what any school wants.

The biggest education publication company in America, Pearson Education, already offers everyone of their up-to-date published books online, but for a hefty price.

Fully online education is not yet the “norm” in society but many technology experts and education experts believe that the future of online education is much, much closer than most think.