Speech #3 Description of a Controversy 100 pts

Date of my Delivery:______ MY Focal Point: What is more effective in the classroom: textbooks or tablets?
Purpose: To Inform (NOT persuade- dont show us what side you are on!)
My Personal Delivery Challenge+ how I will address it: I hope to stay between the time interval and use gestures. I will
do this by practicing my speech multiple times and writing side notes on my notecards.
Attn Getter: Credibility Statement: How many of you would rather use an iPad or tablet rather than a textbook to learn?
Media technology around the world has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Today, technology is like a drug.
(Simile) Over the past few years, schools around the world are starting to use tablets and iPads instead of using standard
textbooks. When I was in grade school, I only used textbooks, but now, many schools are making the change and are being
technologically efficient by using tablets such as iPads or a Microsoft Surfaces. In a phone interview on November 4 th,
2015, I spoke with my little brother Charlie, who is currently in 5th grade and now uses tablets at his school, whom he says
is super cool. (Testimony). So this interests me as to if tablets are more effective than textbooks when it comes to
teaching and learning.
Connect Aud. To Topic: (Good place for Stats): In an online article written by Sean Coughlan on bbc.com in December
2014, Coughlan reports that statistics showed that about 70% of primary schools in the UK use tablet computers, and that
between 2014 and 2016, the number of tablet computers in schools is expected to rise from about 430,000 to 900,000.
This clearly shows that more and more schools are making the switch to tablets. But, many of you might still be
wondering, are tablets really more effective than textbooks in schools?
Preview to Main Points: (# of pts --Organize by ISSUES- not sides. The sides are the A&B.): Before schools across the
world change their ways of teaching by using tablets or iPads instead of the standard textbooks, there are three factors that
affect making this decision: the cost of the tablet and/or textbook, the psychological and physical outcomes, and the overall
effectiveness of each.
Main Points:
I. (Background) According to an online article Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K12 Schools? posted on tabletstextbooks.procon.org, by no apparent author on April 9th, 2014, it states that Publishing for the K-12 school market is
an $8 billion industry, with three companies- McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-capturing about
85% of this market. Tablets are a $72 billion industry with 42% of US adults owning a tablet.
A. Today, tablets are widely used around U.S schools because of their useful apps and countless amounts of
storage. They can hold hundreds of books and games that can be useful for interactive learning. Most tablets and iPads
have anywhere from 8GB to 64GB of storage, yet this is still more efficient than carrying around a few textbooks.
Transition:
II. (1st Issue): When it comes to using tablets or textbooks in school, cost is a big factor that plays a role in deciding
which is more worth it. (Metaphor)
A. (Con) Buying tablets and iPads can be very expensive. According to Brenda Alvarez in an online article, As
More Schools Embrace Tablets, Do Textbooks Have a Fighting Chance?, posted on July 13th, 2013, Alvarez reports that
The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the largest school district in the country, just spent around $30 million
on 35,000 iPads for students to use in the classroom, and they plan on supplying iPads to the rest of the 640,000 students in
the future. Tablets and iPads come up to be very expensive, especially when they are bought in huge amounts and there
isnt a 100% need for them. Another factor that could make iPads and tablets expensive, is the risks of students breaking
them and having to spend money on repairs, or having the tablets stolen and having them replaced. The cost of Wi-Fi
networks and keeping up with the latest updates can also be really expensive.
B. (Pro) But, having tablets in schools can also be a benefit. Even though they can be expensive, money spent on
multiple textbooks can also add up pretty quickly. With thousands of apps and eBooks that are available on an iPads or
tablets, this reduces the need for the production of paper textbooks and can save money on those type of materials.
Transition: Switching from textbooks to tablets in the classroom can have physical and psychological effects on students.
III. (2nd Issue)
A. (Pro) Research has found that the use of tablets has linked a relationship with multiple health issues. Some of
these issues include blurred vision, eyestrain, and headaches which is also known as Computer Vision Syndrome. In an
online article Computer Vision Syndrome and Digital Eye Strain posted in March 2015 on allaboutvision.com, Gary
Heiting reports that, nearly 70% of American adults experience some form of digital eye strain. If this is true, then
imagine how the eyes of our generation will be in the future? Probably not very good because of the amount of technology
we use daily. Research has shown that its easier for people to comprehend information thats written in a textbook, instead
of on a screen. Not only do tablets create physical issues, but they can also cause psychological issues (Antithesis). The

use of tablets in the classroom can lead students to become distracted from learning by playing games or watching videos
because the focus of the students is on the technology, not the teacher. And this can all lead students to develop short
attention spans.
B. (Con) Some physical affects that textbooks can have on students include back and neck issues. Having people
carry multiple textbooks in their backpack can strain our backs. Also, textbooks are made out of paper which kills trees,
and paper can cause paper cuts and everyone knows that theres nothing worse than getting a paper cut.
Transition: Switching from textbooks to tablets in the classroom can be overall effective.
IV. (3rd Issue)
A. (Pro) Tablets can help students find information quicker and can eliminate the amount of paper handouts that
are used in classrooms. There are many useful features that tablets have that make them more efficient than
using textbooks, but
B. (Con) Textbooks will never crash or freeze; the information that youre looking for will always be right in
front of you. Tablets also increase the amount of excuses that students could make up, such as I couldnt do
my homework assignment because my iPad was dead or my iPad froze. Textbooks wont break and will
almost always be indestructible, unless you get them wet. So dont get them wet.

Review: I have narrowed down the three main factors that come into play before deciding to switch
from textbooks to tablets in U.S. schools. I went over the cost of tablets and textbooks, the
psychological and physical outcomes of using both, and the overall effectiveness of each in the
classroom.
Closure: I hope that this information will help you decide whether the U.S. should stick to textbooks or switch to
tablets in schools.
4 Works Cited:

Alvarez,Brenda."AsMoreSchoolsEmbraceTablets,DoTextbooksHaveaFightingChance?NEA
Today."NEAToday.NationalEducationAssociation,31July2013.Web.04Nov.2015.
Coughlan,Sean."TabletComputersin'70%ofSchools'BBCNews."BBCNews.BBCNews,3Dec.
2014.Web.04Nov.2015.
Heiting,Gary."ComputerVisionSyndromeandDigitalEyeStrain."AllAboutVision.MediaGroupLLC,
Mar.2015.Web.04Nov.2015.
"Tabletsvs.TextbooksProCon.org."ProConorgHeadlines.ProCon.org,9Apr.2014.Web.10Nov.
2015.