Emmy Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 This past spring I needed science for my oldest kind of on-the-fly, so I downloaded Real Science 4 Kids Biology for him. LOVED it. I can print it or he can read it on the laptop, I can easily have fresh new copies for future kids, it's working great. Yesterday I got samples of SWB's new writing program and I downloaded them to our ipad. This was like an epiphany for me - I think it would be awesome to have my teachers manuals for FLL and WWE and WWS on the ipad vs printed out. I can then reference them during school time and the kids can have their stuff printed in a binder. I am just really loving the whole digital curriculum era. The only downside is that I can't resell later on but that's not a huge issue when nothing has a good resale value anyway and I'll be using these programs with lots of kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 :party: I love digital downloadable products! I'm starting to write to my favorite curriculum publishers to consider adding that as an option if they don't already. I also prefer Kindle ebooks, so I often request those on Amazon if they're only in physical form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 YES! I actually finished buying FLL 3 and 4 as well as the SOTW 4 AG and coloring pages as PDFs. I plan to print the kids pages in 9 week blocks and use my new spiral binding machine to make them workbooks, and then will use our Ipad for my TMs. I went through the STOW 4 AG last week on the Ipad and used my PDF reader to highlight the extra reading selections I want to get from the library, etc as we go. I also used it to add "notes" in the margin about other books not listed or movies we have that would be good add ins. Last year is when I began buying things as PDFs whenever possible. That way I can't sell them when I have "Grass is Greener" syndrome which I get often and then regret selling things. Sure it can backfire, but I've been known to just pull a sheet here or there from something I won't use full time because it will make a good "change of pace" day item. The only one I've been disappointed with is the download of Beautiful Feet's Geography Through Literature. It's not a PDF, they made copies of the book and then pasted them as pictures into a Word file. It's looks pretty ugly and the margin is way to big, so the page itself it much smaller than I would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I love digital products, too, though my preference would be an omnimedia product. A book to hold, an eBook for the Kindle/iPad, and an audio book depending on the nature of the material. I'd pay extra for that, but I would not buy all three, so the publishers would make more money from me this way than from just one of the three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homemama2 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I think they're ok. I've used some this year, but still prefer physical books. With the amount of ink I've used printing, I'm not sure if I saved any money or not...and I can't resell them and get money back that way. Of course, I'm one of those people that have a Kindle and only have free books on it b/c I'd rather get it from the library and have a 'real' book than get the e-book for a couple of bucks. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Yes!!!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma4Boys Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I love the option of downloaded or computer media but I think I would like to have a hard copy as well - something about seeing it & touching it. For example, I love the look of TOG DE programs - looks really user friendly and has all kinds of extra bells and whistles, but I think I would also want the printed version to make notes in and stuff. Also, my 7th grade son was interested in getting the Apologia science book on CD Rom this next year but he has been complaining about headaches. I had his eyesight checked and all was fine but the doctor said he shouldn't be reading on the computer for more than an hour or so before taking a break. That made sense so I am leaning towards getting the hard copy book for him. Now ebooks may be a different story - my mom has an ereader and it doesn't seem to create the same eye strain as reading off a computer screen. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 No. I need a book in my hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 For teacher's manuals I love the idea of them all being tucked inside ibooks on the ipad - no searching for the right book or bringing a stack of manuals to the kitchen table in the morning. For the kids workbooks I do like PDFs because it's easy to print them. I've used the SOTW activity guides for years and always hated copying the coloring pages for multiple kids - I'd much rather have a digital copy so I can print more easily. As to ereaders - I have a kindle that I use for reading but the kids don't use it much. I buy them regular books to read. It does not produce eye strain because it's not backlit. My oldest has expressed interest in getting a kindle - we'll probably wait until he's 12 or 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieF Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I am a die-hard for printed copies . . . BUT . . . when it comes to student pages, coloring pages, etc. I am LOVING the digital option! It is just easier than making copies or keeping track of multiple books. The jury is still out as far as buying and printing TGs. Seems like when all is said and done the cost is probably comparable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I definitely buy PDFs of anything I'd need to ever copy. I refuse to photocopy unless I absolutely HAVE to. :tongue_smilie: I haven't yet bought things for an ereader type of thing, but I also don't have one, except an iPod Touch and a myTouch phone. Those are too small for that sort of thing. I may ask for a Kindle-type item for Christmas. I'll have to research them. I think that would be nice to have my TMs on a Kindle-type item and not have to pull those out to teach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I am buying a lot of them lately. I almost lost them all in a computer crash this week. I need to have a better backup plan. I have been homeless twice due to domestic abuse/stalking and have twice lost my entire home library so don't feel any safer with hard copy books than ebooks. My new laptop can burn CDs, or at least it says it can :-0 I haven't tried it. I'm thinking it would be wise to make CDs. An entire folder just disappeared when I was copying files from one thumb drive to another, because I wanted an empty drive to attempt to rescue the ebooks from the crashed computer. I don't even know what I lost :-0 I've also been told to make sure everything on the thumb drive is in folders, and not directly on the drive, or one corrupt file can make the whole drive corrupt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschooltoone Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 No! I prefer physical books, and I can't sale them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 After just helping someone upload all their digital products up to Google Docs, I just wanted to suggest that people consider the free Google Docs (or comparable online storage) so they won't lose any files. You can then access them from any computer. You can upload documents up to 1 gigabyte. Files that are over 2 mb you will have to use the "Basic" upload or make sure that Google isn't converting them to Google Docs. I've got everything uploaded - SOTW AG, FLL books, Scholastic/Evan Moor eBooks, Math Mammoth 1-6, Writer's Jungle, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I just wanted to suggest that people consider the free Google Docs (or comparable online storage) so they won't lose any files. You can then access them from any computer. You can upload documents up to 1 gigabyte. Thanks for the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 After just helping someone upload all their digital products up to Google Docs, I just wanted to suggest that people consider the free Google Docs (or comparable online storage) so they won't lose any files. You can then access them from any computer. You can upload documents up to 1 gigabyte. Files that are over 2 mb you will have to use the "Basic" upload or make sure that Google isn't converting them to Google Docs. I've got everything uploaded - SOTW AG, FLL books, Scholastic/Evan Moor eBooks, Math Mammoth 1-6, Writer's Jungle, etc... I believe the above referenced helpee is me :seeya: It's awesome to have them all on google docs, now when we're visiting family this summer if I got through planning withdrawl I'll have my books at my finger tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamachanse Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I have only purchased one this way and I do love having it on my iPad and there is very little printing (Harmony Fine Arts). I just wish: 1. The digital copies were cheaper. Some are the same price as the book version and I still have to print. 2. That books purchased would offer a digital download as well...at least the teacher manual parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I'm not necessarily buying MORE digital products, I buy them anyway because DH runs a print shop so it's more economical for me to buy digital downloads and save on shipping when I can. The only problem is I can't tell one product from another when they're all lined up on the shelf like you can with the pre-printed perfect-bound stuff. I've managed to overcome most of it by storing the things we use daily in a different place and slightly pulling out others we use frequently so I don't have to pull out every spiral-bound book on the shelves to find what I need. It's just not as pretty. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Nope. I'd -much- rather pay a few extra bucks for a hard copy I can hold in my hands. I'll admit it is easier to press the print button than flip the book up to take a copy, but scrolling through pages, instead of simply flipping them, or holding places with my fingers, drives me batty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguistmama Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I love being able to download pdfs. I was nervous before I found out that I could back them up in google docs, but now I'm a convert :) I wish I had gotten the SOTW AG as a pdf instead of the hard copy. I really look forward to the day when there will be plenty of interactive curriculum designed for the ipad. Then we would have even fewer books to carry to the couch or table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paceofnature Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 We love digital here! We had a flood a few years ago and although most of our books were lost, the digital files were fine. With 6 kids I find that it is easy to buy once and print as each child needs them. And the shelf space I'm saving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 All. the. time. Who wants to scan and then print? Or photocopy? And I live in Canada. Can you say shipping? ;) And I have four children (so far), loving the reproducibles on the computer to START with :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Yes! Math Mammoth, Elemental Science and Meet the Masters are all digital here. I also plan to get the student book for FLL3 as a pdf download. German is also mainly software (with a couple books thrown in). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 My goal is to go mostly digital by year after next. I want to be able to save money on buying "books" and get the kids an ipad or Nook color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Oh, and someone needs to walk me through google docs. I'd love to move that direction also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 No. I prefer real books & real paper. Don't accept imitations! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I love real books but I love free digital books an awful lot. These books are hard or impossible to buy in the original and too expensive for me to buy reprints (due to number). I also love dogital workbooks or anything for kids, so I can use multiple times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Oh, and someone needs to walk me through google docs. I'd love to move that direction also! :iagree: Also, I wish that things like MathMammoth could be put on the ipad and the work done directly on the iPad and saved digitally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Also, it would be awesome if AAS sold digital copies of their stuff. I'd be all over that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I love digi paper :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I don't yet, but I completely plan on buying anything workbook/activity book that I can digitally. They are usually a bit cheaper, and with my laser printer and free paper (from back-to-school sales), it's crazy cheap for us to print, and that way I can reuse things for multiple children. I already have a few preschool skills books that I got from Scholastic for $1 each that I can print out and have my 2 year old do over and over again! She loves it and it's way cheaper than Walmart workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Okay, 1 more...if I was able to have TOG on my iPad I would be SOLD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Yes, I do love digital copy for STOW AB. I so appreciated MM downloads--I only had to print what we needed. I love that I can log into Lively Latin and watch the video lessons online-I also download the lessons to print. OK--so we are using MUS for some of my kids, but I get so worried about the DVDs getting scratched as we get them in and out of the computer. They are expensive, too!! Does anyone have a good way to take DVD content and rip it to a hard drive or external hard drive? I am running on Mac. I SO WISH that MUS would put their video content online. We watch the lessons on the computer--not the TV anyway. Is anyone finding that the ipad is incompatible with some HS online products because ipad won't work with Flash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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