We were thrilled to see that Hoover City Schools officials are acting aggressively to bring iPads and Nook e-readers to students across the school system.

Education through electronics is the future, and, for Hoover students, the future is now.

Selected students at Gwin Elementary School and Green Valley Elementary School, both in the Jefferson County portion of Hoover, tested the Nooks in their classrooms for the majority of the 2011-2012 school year.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Ron Dodson said there were “no negatives whatsoever” and “parents were very happy.”

When it comes to a school initiative, you can’t get much better than that.

We hope the school system is able to meet its goal of having all Hoover schools outfitted with iPads or Nooks by fall 2013.

This initiative will give every child in a Hoover City school an advantage. Having these devices available will allow students to learn in myriad ways.

Rather than only getting information from a textbook that could be years old, students can see what their textbooks teach them, then find extra information at the touch of a screen.

Dodson said while the school system isn’t getting rid of its textbooks, he expects their role to be “diminished.” Because of this initiative, students will learn both individually and together and, through that, public education will find a new balance.

Once again, the Hoover system is proving itself one of the most innovative and forward-thinking school systems in the country.

Other school systems are already following the Hoover system’s example. For example, the Shelby County Board of Education approved the purchase of 200 e-readers for students at Oak Mountain Elementary at its June 21 meeting.

We appreciate our local educators for finding dynamic ways to educate students instead of preventing progress. Education — turns out there’s an app for that.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.