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Brooke Walker ReportingSchools constantly try to keep up with the changing technology, but a few classrooms here in Utah are a step ahead of the rest. They're using a new digital textbook that some educators are calling the book of the future.
Put away the pencils and tuck aside the traditional textbooks, because in this classroom it all happens with a computer. The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Salt Lake is one of 14 schools across the state to incorporate this new digital technology. The program is called Kinetic Books and it provides students with hands-on experience.
Doug Hendricks, Teacher: "It involves car crashes and shooting rockets and putting them in orbit around the earth, shooting cannons at each other. They students love stuff like that."
Simulators, computer-guided homework and even animated lectures help bring learning to life. For example, in a physics class force and velocity are being studied by playing a computer-generated game of pool.
Jessica Winters, Student: "It's really cool and it helps you learn a lot, because if you just learn from a book, it's not as good because you can actually see what's going on."
Brayan Solorzano, Student: "I can apply it to the real world. I'm in the sports program so every time I'm in soccer, I think about physics, oh I should kick it this hard."
Another perk comes with a dollar sign; this program costs a third the price of a printed text.
"We got a license for thirty computers for what it normally costs to buy four textbooks. It's phenomenal."
"Eventually, when everyone has a computer at home, i'm sure you won't have textbooks anymore. This is the way to go."
