Reading with the Kindle

April 9, 2011 Peter 3 comments

Attribution Some rights reserved by jblyberg

Quick. What’s the fastest way to read a new novel, when it’s almost time to complete school orders? Download it on the Kindle, of course!

Next year, I’ll be teaching a brand new course on US History, along with my teaching partner. So we’re looking for a good novel to fit in to the curriculum, one that will help to enhance understanding of US History while keeping the interest of middle school boys and girls.

Someone recommended the novel called Brooklyn Bridge. It sounded quite good, and immediately was put on our short list. But neither of us had actually read it, or even seen a copy, and our library did not have a copy. So what could we do? Why not download it on the Kindle, my friend suggested.

And he did. The next day, he loaned his Kindle to me, and I was able to finish the book that night.

Maybe I’m behind the technology curve on this one, but it was my first time reading from a Kindle, and I quite enjoyed it. What did I like?

Small size. Very easy to hold, even in one hand.
Attribution Some rights reserved by jblyberg
Light weight. My hand did not get tired while holding it.
Adjustable font size. I hate to admit that my eye sight is deteriorating, but it is. I find reading web pages on my iphone quite hard much of the time. But on the Kindle, I could choose a font that made reading easy while still providing quite a lot of text on one page.
User-friendly interface. I just love it when technology companies design their products for uninitiated users. Amazon definitely did this, providing easy controls for page forward, page back, skip to another section, choose another book, etc.
Super easy access. I love how easy it was to order and download a book, even in a foreign country!

What I did not like:

Clunky Controls. Though I’ve been told that this has improved in later versions.
Screen Size. A bit small. With the font size ramped up, I was turning pages very regularly. However, I still prefer this to carrying around something bigger and heavier (like the iPad, which I have not yet tried.)
Black and white interface. Though this matches print books, I still expect more from a digital screen. This is not genuine visual literacy.

Is this the future of reading? I doubt it. The Kindle does not meet the requirements of visual literacy. It doesn’t use color, provide extra details, or even hyperlinks. Above all, the Kindle is still a sequential reading device, and, for better or worse, our modern technological world does not favor sequential thought. The Kindle is not a revolution in reading, but more like a temporary shift of our traditional reading patterns onto a new media. On the other hand, the Kindle is helping the digital immigrants move towards a digital world, and in that way, it does a great job.

Click here for a complete review.

Course 3: Visual Literacy digital immigrant, Kindle, reading, the future of technology, visual literacy

#1 | Written by Becky about 1 year ago. Reply

Peter, thanks for the insights in this blog. I’ve heard lots of Kindle pros and cons over that last year, but you’re the first person I’ve read that suggests that this devise is a transition. My husband suggests that the iPad is all that the Kindle is and more. He enjoys reading books off it each night for all the reasons you listed. Tone down the lighting and increase the battery life of an iPad and you may have the next device. That said, I still curl up with a book. I wonder if all the accessibility that an iPad brings would actually be a distraction to a novel. Live links, embedded movies and images might not actually accentuate a novel, but rather provide more distraction during what would normally be a peaceful and personal experience with a book.
#2 | Written by Laura Walter about 1 year ago. Reply

I really like that the Kindle screen looks more like a real book and isn’t back-lit. In fact, many times I’ve moved my hand to turn the page when I get to the bottom of the screen. Of course the iPad has way more features than the Kindle, but I like the simplicity the Kindle offers. I’ve used the Kindle app on the iPad as well and I find that I’m much more distracted– I check my email, go online to look for other books by the same author, look up a reference in the book. Reading the Kindle feels more like a real book to me and I appreciate that it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. Although I do like that the Kindle app for the iPad gives a page number, since the Kindle itself only gives you a “location” number. That might be my only complaint.
#3 | Written by Scott Middleton about 1 year ago. Reply

Thank you for your review of the Kindle. I have not used the Kindle yet. I have been using the iPad with my first graders for reading. I have also written about it on my blog. http://www.coetail.asia/middletons/

I like how easy these devices have become to use. I don’t think it is a problem that we are reading using an electronic book and not a paper book. But I do need it to be easy and cheap with lots of story titles. I guess the Kindle won’t work for me in it’s current format because first graders need color pictures and animation. Barb has been trying the Nook because it is in color. I will have to get more information about that too. I also like the iPad because I can get free apps for stories, math and phonics. Peter, I have learned recently that you can download free books from public libraries on to your Kindle, Nook or iPad. Just come down to the Lower School library and Barb can show you how.

I am just beginning my search for the right tool. I’m sure there will be many twists and turns as products are refined and changed over time. The rate of change is fast but I like what I see.

Taking the Plunge (into tech ed)

Reading with the Kindle

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