• @tamal3@lemmy.world
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    421 hours ago

    Maybe, but are there other things we can focus on? For example, as an ESL teacher, why do my newcomers only get a word to word paper dictionary on end of grade exams? I’m pretty sure the state of North Carolina just hates children? There’s literally no reason for this. Give them a digital dictionary.

    • @Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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      020 hours ago

      Paper is a renewable resource, rare metals used in computers aren’t, and the contents of the dictionary will be the same either way

      • @Tiresia@slrpnk.net
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        318 hours ago

        That’s really not true. Paper production takes a lot of (often non-renewable) energy, ink usually consists of non-renewable chemicals, paper is often harvested from nonrenewable destruction of forests (especially in the US with Trump’s plans to cut down national forests), paper production belches a lot of pollution into the air and pollutes a lot of water, etc.

        • @Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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          018 hours ago

          The energy can be obtained from renewable sources any time we decide to quit fucking around and make it happen, wood pulp can be replaced with hemp far more easily than that and requires less chemical treatment in the process. There are no similar options for mitigating the negative impact of mining or making our supply of those metals any bigger.

            • @Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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              08 hours ago

              Recycling still consumes energy which can be just as non-renewable as the energy used for making paper, and the impact of mining is far greater than hemp farming even at its worst. Try harder.

      • @tamal3@lemmy.world
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        020 hours ago

        Yes but the process of obtaining the information is significantly more difficult. We can, you know, reuse the same 20 translation devices for years, and all kids have a laptop… I feel like you’re focused on the wrong thing.

        • @RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          No, it’s only more difficult for those without the skills to use the Index or Table of Contents in a book. Which is not really much of a difficult skill to learn. You pretty much need to know about alphabetical order and how one is at the front and the other is at the end of the book.

          • @tamal3@lemmy.world
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            14 hours ago

            Yes, but for a kid who is new to the country and who is taking a 3-4 hour test in English, a paper dictionary is an impediment. I’m not saying it should be illegal, but I know we can do better by these kids. (Honestly, my preference is for a newcomer with limited English to not even take this test at all their first year, but that’s not my choice.)

        • @Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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          018 hours ago

          In what universe is an electronic device being handled by children going to last 20 years? Not ours