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eBook central takes a classic approach to handheld literature: 'perpetual' licensing permits handheld-equipped schools to buy once and distribute forever the world's greatest titles.


THE CLASSICS are timeless timeless,
adj infinite, enduring, endless.
.

However, they are not inexpensive to stock--until now, thanks to the recent change in policy by eBook Classics, which is now offering schools perpetual PERPETUAL. That which is to last without limitation as to time; as, a perpetual statute, which is one without limit as to time, although not expressed to be so.  licenses for up to 500 titles that include such classics as "The Red Badge red badge

symbol of the conquest of fear. [Am. Lit.: Red Badge of Courage]

See : Bravery
 of Courage" by Stephen Crane, "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, "Night and Day" by Virginia Woolf Noun 1. Virginia Woolf - English author whose work used such techniques as stream of consciousness and the interior monologue; prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group (1882-1941)
Adeline Virginia Stephen Woolf, Woolf
, the works of William Shakespeare, and other books commonly found on middle and high school reading lists.

This collection provides schools with a cost-effective way to easily distribute eBooks to students, eBooks, of course, cannot be lost, stolen, or damaged, and the license permits the school to distribute as many copies of the eBooks as it wants, as often as it needs.

Many schools, in fact, have been expanding use of the eBook Classics. Last year, as the handheld program was just getting off the ground at Kansas' Olathe Northwest and Olathe North high schools, the district purchased eBook Classics for its students. This year, both the teachers and students are leveraging this eBook technology in new ways.

First, some background: Every one of Olathe's 2,200 students has been carrying a palmOne handheld computer A computing device that can be easily held in one hand while the other hand is used to operate it. The Palm devices are a popular example. See Palm, smartphone and palmtop.  for more than a year. Now in their second year of school-wide implementation, students and educators have gotten comfortable with the handheld technology and begun to branch out beyond what was initially anticipated, says Robin Dietz, Educational Technology Resource Teacher for Olathe District Schools.

For example, Dietz is working with the eBook Studio application to create a student handbook. This software allows teachers and students to write, format, and design any document for reading on a handheld. "Not having to buy [hardcopy versions of] the student handbook saves us money," says Dietz. "Plus, [on handhelds] it's easy to make changes or add hyperlinks to its content."

Indestructible in·de·struc·ti·ble  
adj.
Impossible to destroy: indestructible furniture; indestructible faith.



[Late Latin ind
 and interactive

It's also convenient for students to read text on a handheld, Dietz adds. What makes reading books on a handheld so compelling includes the built-in functions, agree teachers and students. They can easily highlight important text, attach notes, change font font
 or typeface or type family

Assortment or set of type (alphanumeric characters used for printing), all of one coherent style. Before the advent of computers, fonts were expressed in cast metal that was used as a template for printing.
 size, and add bookmarks to return to key parts. They can access dictionaries and other reference applications. Handhelds integrate reading, writing and analysis.

Teachers at Olathe Northwest quickly embraced the convenience and utility of eBooks. In fact, many are buying select titles to supplement the list of 500 offered by eBook Classics, because it's so easy and practical, says Dietz.

Of course, the "coolness" factor of reading books on a handheld doesn't hurt either. Making it even simpler, eReader and eReader Pro have been merged into one application. With new font packs from Agfa Monotype monotype, type set by the Monotype machine. See printing.
monotype
 or monoprint

In art printmaking, a technique prized because of its unique textural qualities.
 and special font-smoothing technology for color-screen handhelds, reading an eBook has never been easier. Users can download To receive a file transmitted over a network. In any communications session, "download" means receive, and "upload" means send. The download/upload often implies a big/little scenario, in which data is being downloaded from the "big" server into the "little" user's computer.  a free trial of eReader Pro software, complete with Webster's New World Vest Pocket Dictionary Noun 1. pocket dictionary - a dictionary that is small enough to carry in your pocket
little dictionary

dictionary, lexicon - a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
, from http://ebooks.palmone.com/products/er eader/free.

The Education Classics Collection includes 250 or 500 complete-text literary classics (under $1,000 and $1,500, respectively), depending on the district's needs, on a CD that is loaded onto a school's server. With a perpetual license, a school can then make all those titles available to the entire school, and use as many copies as needed as needed prn. See prn order. . The collection is searchable by author or title, and texts download into handhelds quickly. Not only is this cost-effective way to give students access to a huge array of books, it save: additional money because an eBook cannot be damaged, lost, or stolen.

Other advantages include the ability to store all these books in one paperless package which means students hay easier access and more opportunities to read and also to interact with what they read. Students can easily access titles 24/7. The depth of material keeps students turning the virtual pages--from Dickens to Dostoyevsky, there's something for every student and every teacher.

"Kids are so attuned at·tune  
tr.v. at·tuned, at·tun·ing, at·tunes
1. To bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship: an industry that is not attuned to market demands.

2.
 to electronic media," says Dietz. "They love using the handhelds for everything." She adds that junior high and elementary students in Olathe schools now have access to class sets of palmOne Zire71s to get accustomed to using a handheld. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified"
meantime, meanwhile
, Dietz anticipates the Classics Collection will soon be expanded to include books for younger grades. "We really are heading toward a paperless reality."

Web Sites for eBooks & Tools

Home of the Classics Collection

http://ebooks.palmOne.com/education/classics

Education eBooks from palmOne

http://ebooks.palmOne.com/education

Another large eBook store

www.ereader.com/

Education and Reference Software

http://software.palmOne.com

From one educator to another, this site reviews many popular education software titles.

www.palmsource.com/interests/education_teacherss
COPYRIGHT 2004 Professional Media Group LLC
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:Licensing
Author:Crane, Elizabeth
Publication:District Administration
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Dec 1, 2004
Words:768
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