Obama to Announce Free E-Books for Low-Income Kids

[CC27]

Star Member applegrove (66,964 posts)

Obama to Announce Free E-Books for Low-Income Kids


Obama to Announce Free E-Books for Low-Income Kids

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/obama-announce-free-e-books-low-income-kids-n351101

"SNIP..............


Working with publishers and libraries, the White House sees the modest plan as part of a strategy to address inner city problems by increasing educational opportunities for kids -- woes brought into focus with recent riots in nearby Baltimore.

Kids will need computers and devices to read the e-books. Jeff Zients, Obama's top economic adviser, noted the White House had previously announced programs to upgrade Internet services for schools and libraries, with private sector help from companies including Apple, which pledged $100 million in devices to low-income schools.

"If we're serious about living up to what our country is about, then we have to consider what we can do to provide opportunities in every community, not just when they're on the front page, but every day," Zients said in a briefing with reporters.

The plan includes $250 million in e-book commitments from publishers, including from the five major publishing houses: Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and HarperCollins.

DUmmies are mad they did not get one. 
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026599956

[Chris_]

My library already does that.  I imagine most libraries in major cities do as well.  Do we have to have a federal program to give library cards to low-income children as well?

[obumazombie]

It must be nice to have as your only duty a job that consists of looking at a list of not free stuff, and liberating them one by one.
But you don't actually have to do anything more than make an announcement.
Leave the minutia up to the peons to figure out.

[I_B_Perky]

Prediction: The equipment will end up at the pawn shop.

[J P Sousa]

But will they need FREE tutors to help them read those free E-Books ? 

[DLR Pyro]

Do we have to have a federal program to give library cards to low-income children as well?

not really needed.  All a child has to do is go to a nearby library, request a library card form, have their parent(s) sign the form and return it to the library whereupon they will be rewarded with a library card of their own at no cost to them.

[Chris_]

not really needed.  All a child has to do is go to a nearby library, request a library card form, have their parent(s) sign the form and return it to the library whereupon they will be rewarded with a library card of their own at no cost to them.

That's too difficult. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Actually not a bad idea, as long as it doesn't involve giving every poor kid, good or bad, illiterate or avid reader, a personal tablet as well.  The most rudimentary knowledge of fundamental economic thinking would tell you that giving a valuable item to someone who does not value it more than other needs will quickly result in that person trading or selling the item to get something they really do want.

Of course, so far the Democrats and Obozo in particular have demonstrated that none of them actually grasp the fundamentals of economic decision-making, so there's that...

[FlaGator]

They are low income but they have enough money to buy a device that can load and display an ebook.

[SVPete]

A lot depends on what the program entails. If a "free" e-reader of some sort is given out, it's going to be another drain on taxpayers, and pawn shops will be flooded (and maybe some wink-wink going on with the mfr of the e-reader). OTOH, if it's "free" content, most books can be gotten on "loan" from libraries for free. A lot of classic books can be bought from B & N and Amazon for a buck or two. So if it's "free" content, it's a lot of hype and very little substance.

[zeitgeist]

Let me think.  Oh yeah, Apple has lots of cash and can easily provide tablets at cost.  Redistribution don't ya know. 

http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/17/ipad-teardown-reveals-375-10-total-cost/
 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Let me think.  Oh yeah, Apple has lots of cash and can easily provide tablets at cost.  Redistribution don't ya know. 

http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/17/ipad-teardown-reveals-375-10-total-cost/
 

Actually Apple's educational support strategy was and is designed to farm future Apple brand loyalists.  They put Apple products in the hands of future consumers at a loss and then reap the rewards in later years.

[98ZJUSMC]

Prediction: The equipment will end up at the pawn shop.

[98ZJUSMC]

Quote from: DLR Pyro on Today at 08:07:56 PM
not really needed.  All a child has to do is go to a nearby library, request a library card form, have their parent(s) sign the form and return it to the library whereupon they will be rewarded with a library card of their own at no cost to them.

That's too difficult.

And no political points with Low IQ tards who have no idea you can already do that, but know everything else there is to know.

Just axe them.

[Skul]

Bamaphone, Bamabooks.  Mm mm mmmm

I can just emagine what comes preloaded.

[Chris_]

71 iPads issued to students have gone missing, LAUSD says

Some people never learn from their mistakes.

[GOBUCKS]

Don't ever get between a Crip and his Kindle.

[obumazombie]

Actually Apple's educational support strategy was and is designed to farm future Apple brand loyalists.  They put Apple products in the hands of future consumers at a loss and then reap the rewards in later years.

Not at a loss.
The full price customers are subsiding the "at a loss" customers.
Another variation on a theme of income redistribution.

[Big Dog]

Bamaphone, Bamabooks.  Mm mm mmmm

I can just emagine what comes preloaded.

Das Kapital, Abridged for Today's Youth.

Heather is His Own Mommy- A Transgender Journey

'You Didn't Build That', and Other Inspirational Words from our Dear Leader

Whack a Cracka, and Other Games

[DLR Pyro]

71 iPads issued to students have gone missing, LAUSD says

Some people never learn from their mistakes.

if just 71 iPads went missing from the LAUSD boondoggle, I'd say the tax payer got off easy.

[JohnnyReb]

Bamaphone, Bamabooks.  Mm mm mmmm

I can just emagine what comes preloaded.

How long will it be until we have to pay someone to spoon feed them and wipe their ass for them?

[redwhit]

You know, my town already does something like this.  When parents bring kids in for a check-up at certain clinics they're told about the benefits of reading to small children and offered a couple age appropriate books.  Although no one is required to, they often bring the books back so other families can have the same experience.

If nothing else, it shows which parents actually care about their kids.

[thundley4]

What Obama proposes will cost all of us. Why not just provide information to people about existing sites?

https://archive.org/details/texts

https://www.gutenberg.org/

Sure, they are books that are in the public domain, but many of them are classics and available free already.

[RobJohnson]

Most schools have school libraries that are full of books. What is wrong with the books they already have that are collecting dust?

[SVPete]

Most schools have school libraries that are full of books. What is wrong with the books they already have that are collecting dust?

Like the books on Project Gutenberg and similar sites, those books are OLD and not cool.