Catarina Wilfong | Writer
September 20, 2024
In recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the topic of Kindles in classrooms and whether they should be allowed or not. A Kindle is an electronic reading device with endless access to books of all genres. It can be groundbreaking for those who struggle with reading on paper and can even turn non-readers into avid ones.
Despite the fact that Kindle has increased the number of readers since the time they were released, many teachers dislike them, and for good reason. Teachers tend to dislike them in the classroom due to the fact that they have access to the internet meaning they could possibly aid in cheating for some students. Some teachers also see Kindles as a distraction, for it is difficult for some older generations to grapple with the concept of online reading. When I asked Eva McCarty, a junior at San Clemente High School, she claimed that although Kindles are “cool if you are going for practical” if schools assigned Kindles to us in school, “we would just have an extra thing we don’t really need.” It is true that it is unnecessary for schools to require Kindles to students because although they can be helpful for some, they can also be a great distraction to the easily distracted bunch.
However, Kindles have been proven to do more good than harm in schools: for they take up less space, have essentially an endless library, save paper, and are more affordable in the long run. They are great for saving money because one book in today’s economy is around $20, while Kindles cost roughly $10 a month for unlimited access to books. Another pro to Kindles is the fact that they are “good for reading and annotating in class” a San Clemente High School junior, Macie Armbruster, explains. This further proves the positivity Kindles bring to the classroom, for it can improve the learning experience for so many students, allowing them to fully understand the topics they are learning about.
Although many seem to find kindles a negative factor in the learning experience, they have been shown to increase the number of readers for enjoyment and comprehension of literary material. Hopefully in the future online readers will be more accepted by teachers and the Kindle will be normalized as a valuable learning tool for many in this century.
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