ECTACO Info | Educational eReader Review: ECTACO jetBook K-12
original by http://blogcritics.org
Author: Confessions of an Overworked Mom
With a son in high school and a daughter in college, I am well aware of all of the gadgets and reference books that are needed for our children to be prepared for tests and projects as they get older. When my kids were little, all I needed to worry about was their lunchbox and maybe a package of crayons or markers. Now that they are older, we need to provide a dictionary in both English and their language of choice, a variety of reference books, a graphing calculator, and books that will help them do research and prepare for projects and SATs. Both my kids have ADHD/ADD which means it can be difficult for them to focus. Both kids find it helpful to be "plugged in" while working because it helps them concentrate. It's even written into my son's 504 plan that he can use music to help him concentrate on tests and assignments in class.
Classrooms aren't the same as they were when I was growing up. Now, being online is required in many cases and having access to reference books and information is a necessity. The hours our library is open are so limited that I often just can't get there when I'm available. The ECTACO jetBook K-12 educational eBook system is a specialized eBook reader that helps stimulate students' interest in reading and learning. Students find it much easier to interact with an electronic device than flip through pages in a book or hunt through stacks of references in the library. Not only does the jetBook K-12 hold their interest more, it gives them access to a much larger selection of books than they might find available in their library.
Simply said, the jetBook K-12 is a portable device that contains an SAT Preparation Course, Talking Oxford College Dictionary, English/Spanish Text Translator, SpeedReading Course, Phonetic Language Teacher, Graphic Calculator, Physics Reference Book, Periodict Table of Elements, and U.S. History and Facts. It also contains a My Library section that is used to access ebooks. There is an SD card included that has 1,000 classic books and open source books from the 50 states reading list.
Here's a breakdown of what you'll find in each section of the jetBook K-12:
- My Library - Favorites, Summary, Notes, Bookmarks, Speech Recognition, Word Explanation
- SAT Preparation Course - SAT Words, Grammar, Essay Hints, Root Dictionary, Sentence Completion, Problem Solving
- Talking Oxford College Dictionary - Talking Oxford English ->Spanish Dictionary (56 more languages available), Idioms, Vocabulary Builder
- English -> Spanish Text Translator - 12 more languages available, Irregular Verbs, Grammar Course, Translation Test, Linguistic Crossword
- Speed Reading Course - Tachistoscope, Speed Reading Statistics, Practice Mode, Speed Reading Tests, Sudoku, Flash Cards
- Phonetic Language Teacher - 45 More Languages Available, Speech Analysis & Correction, Phrases, Dialogs
- Physics Reference Book - Organic, Inorganic & General Chemistry, Math Reference Book, World Economics & Geography
- Periodic Table of Elements - Order Number, Atomic Weight, Oxidation States, Electron Configuration, Melting/Boiling Points, Covalent Radius
- U.S. History and Facts - Principles of American Democracy, American History, Government, Integrated Civics, Important Dates
The jetBook K-12 package includes the jetBook K-12, ECTACO/C-Pen, microSD card, carrying case, silicone pouch, pro headset with microphone, cradle, and chargers. The unit itself is very easy to use. It contains a small trackball to use to move the cursor up and down. It also has three buttons to move up and down, select, record your voice, listen to the recording on the jetBook K-12 and play the audio books and music. There is a mini USB port so you can charge the unit and a headset jack so you can use the earphones. Selections that can be listened to have a speaker symbol next to them. This is very helpful in pronunciation for unfamiliar vocabulary words. You can see the correct spelling and listen to the pronunciation in English or in a different language. The unit comes with Spanish but there are other languages available as well.
I am truly astounded at all the information available on the jetBook K-12. The math section itself is unbelievable. It has definitions for Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, and Trigonometry along with examples of what they are. So if you happen to need to know what a quadratic equation is, you can actually see one! Maybe you're more interested in accounting? If that's the case, there is an accounting and loan calculator you can use! There's also a scientific calculator and a graphing calculator. There's even a metric conversion. The next time my son asks for math help, I am all set! This will take him all the way through high school because it has information on physics, chemistry, earth science, biology, the periodic table, etc.
I'm really enjoying the World Economics and Geography section myself. I love learning about other countries. All I have to do is pick a country and it gives me a background of the country, geography (including location, coordinates, map reference, area, land boundaries, coastline, climate, resources, land use, water resources, elevation, natural hazards, current issues, international agreements), people (population, age structure, median age, population growth, birth and death rates, migration, etc.) There are 17 pages of information on Afghanistan alone! Your child could easily write a report on the country of their choice by using only the information I found in the ECTACO jetBook K-12.
If English is more your thing, there is a phonetic language teacher, pictured dictionary, audio phrase book, 180 language dictionary, vocabulary builder, flash cards, crossword, spell it right, Sudoku, and flash cards so you can quiz yourself on different words. There are words in business, law, medical, and general categories. There's even a translation test to quiz yourself on. There is also a section with English grammar aid including irregular verbs, idioms, English to Spanish grammar help, Spanish to English Grammar help. There are eBooks to read and audio books to listen to. There are tons of classics including some that my daughter is reading in college, so this is going to save us money because I won't need to run out and buy the hard copy books.
There is a PC communications area that allows you to manage your files and folders stored on the microSD card. This allows you to add books and music files. You connect the device to your PC using the enclosed USB cable and the mini-USB port and then navigate to the appropriate folders to copy things from one place to another.
This unit is not only great for children, it's a fantastic resource for teachers. There is a section that contains information on how to receive grants and funding for your school and a teacher's resource section. You can also access the 50 states reading lists that are open source. This selection includes things like Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities, "The Raven," The Odyssey, and tons of other classics that my kids will be reading in both high school and college.
The unit comes with an added C-Pen that means you can listen to words, phrases, and even entire sentences simply by swiping the pen. All the definitions in the Oxford dictionary can be read aloud. The added microSD card allows expansion up to 32 GB. The jetBook K-12 can support over nine different formats including Adobe DRM . You can get books almost anywhere online including Barnes & Noble, Kobo Books, and at your local library. You can even create your own files, folders, or texts, and load them to the jetBook as well. Read Books in Adobe DRM 9.1, ePub, Mobi, PRC, PDB, RTF, TXT, HTML, PDF, FB2. It has a 5" TFT screen that is very easy on the eyes to use. The jetBook K-12 can operate fully charged up to 26 hours. It measures 4" x 6" x 0.6" and weighs only 6.5 ounces. It can be purchased in yellow, white, or black.
If you're looking for an educational eBook system, this is the one you need to choose. I truly cannot think of anything that should be on here that isn't and it's all easy to use and easy to find. The jetBook K-12 Educational eBook System is truly an investment in your child's education.
I had no idea about this gadget, but it seems interesting and I think I'll buy it. I downloaded many eBooks from All you can books and I need to read them on something, but not on my computer, because all day long I stay on it... I need to rest my eyes. Thank you so much for this article!
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