DIXFIELD — Switching to digital content in science and social studies classes in the three middle schools of RSU 10 will save the district $50,000 a year in new textbook costs.

Students in Dirigo, Mountain Valley and Buckfield will get most of the content in those subjects through their laptop computers, said Assistant Superintendent Gloria Jenkins.

“We’re hopeful that students will learn more effectively,” she said. “Laptops offer so many more opportunities for students to learn.”

She said students are comfortable with laptops because they have been using them in the classroom for several years. Teachers will still use some pieces of current textbooks, she said.

The digital content will allow the district to present more up-to-date material.

“If something happens tonight, students will know about it tomorrow,” Jenkins said.

Science advances have been numerous, and texts can’t keep up with it, she said. Many social studies texts end just after 9/11 and don’t include any of the wars in the Middle East. With reliable website resources, students will be much more in tune with what’s happening.

To arrive at similar content for all social studies and science classes, teachers began locating resources long before the end of the past school year. The websites are being installed in a server so teachers can assign content as needed.

Along with museums and other nonprofits, the National Geographic Society and other reliable information, many educational sites are available on many topics from such organizations as the National Council of Social Studies, and most sites are free.

“It will take time for teachers to find all the resources they need,” Jenkins said.

If students don’t have access to the Internet at home, they can use their study halls or local libraries or stay after school to find and study assignments, she said.

English and math classes in the middle school likely will remain textbook-based because the content does not change as rapidly as science and social studies.

Jenkins said that soon after the new school year begins, she will meet with all middle school social studies and science teachers to work out any problems and to share resources.

The next step in the digital revolution likely will come at the three high schools in social studies and science. That, however, isn’t set to take place for a few more years.