Paper, pencils and books are so 2008. Now, new e-readers like the iPad and Kindle are being worked into the curriculum at schools across the country, replacing more archaic tools. And with the introduction of this new technology comes regulations. The Department of Education has started to regulate the usage of e-readers in federally funded schools to make sure they are accessible to handicapped students.

One of the main features the Deptartment of Education is focusing on is a text to speech option that blind students would use. So far, the iPad is coming out on top when it comes to meeting the needs of handicapped students. Apple’s e-reader has already passed the accessability test. The Kindle has not. But that hasn’t stopped Princeton from going ahead with a test program that will replace paper and pencil with free Kindles for every student in three of the Ivy League university’s classes. Five other colleges will do the same.

Princeton is going ahead with the pilot program because it could potentially cut down on the school’s use of paper, making it a more eco-friendly campus. And there are other benefits to using e-readers in the classroom. But for right now, I’m pretty sure nothing is going to knock the paper and pencil out of first place when it comes to taking notes in class.