Whatever happened to textbooks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't see how hours at the copy machine is cheaper.
Because you don't pay a teacher more just because she is doing more work.

You do realize that paper, ink, and maintenance on the copy machines is not free, right?

I've never understood the argument against textbooks because of price. Between the copy machine, paper, ink, and teacher time, using random worksheets costs much more and takes up much more time than a textbook. Teachers constantly complain about having too much to do. You'd think they'd fight for textbooks, but I started a topic about textbooks a month back here and most of them didn't like using textbooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Textbooks are inefficient and expensive, especially when compared to online resources.

I understand that, but math is a bit different from a class like science or history (where changes occur and the book needs updating). A textbook gives people a compact "go to" resource that doesn't require internet service and where you can page back to previous lessons quickly. Online resources are scattered and can actually take more time to access. The textbook allows people to "see" the direction of the curriculum quickly and efficiently. I don't get the "inefficient" comment.

I think that online textbooks are not "free".

I can't speak for elementary math textbooks but our child's online textbooks in older elementary and middle school were absolutely "free." The school system pays for the online access to the textbook web sites and we and our kid just use the password given to us by the teacher. My child's algebra 1 textbook last year was all online and very useful. As for "paging back to previous lessons quickly" and looking ahead to the rest of the curriculum, that's all doable online--just page through as you do with a textbook. Yes, there is the issue of kids without Internet access at home, but that is a problem larger than just online access for textbooks, and in our schools at least, the school finds out at the start of the year if a family has access issues and works with that.

Is it cheaper for the school to buy the online textbook verses the hard copy? Both require the school system to pay something. I am fine with the online textbook although it does take longer to access at home than just opening a book. In school, our child actually gets paper taken from an actual workbook which I like. The online access if fine at home especially if it is much cheaper for the school. Most subjects though don't have anything even online to refer to.

[Anonymous]

The online access if fine at home especially if it is much cheaper for the school.

It is not cheaper.

[Anonymous]

I teach middle school math. I hate the textbook. It's not well aligned with our curriculum, the explanations are convoluted, the problems jump from simplistic to challenging immediately, and the "real world" scenarios are stupid.

I post every. single. note. from class on blackboard, in powerpoint and pdf form for students or parents to download. Students have a binder of class notes they take back and forth with them. I will post links to youtube videos on blackboard for extra challenging topics.

Lack of a textbook gives teachers so much freedom to teach things in a way that is stronger, mathematically. I have a stack of textbooks in the back of my room that we only use on emergency sub days.

[Anonymous]

I hate the textbooks my child has used too (Harcourt and Glencoe). Well, hate may be too strong. But I didn't think that they were good. Giant doorstoppers with way too much stuff and not enough actual, useful content.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad they don't have textbooks. My DC is in a gifted program, and DC's backback is already really heavy from the pile of papers they carry in their 1.5" binder, plus the reading book, lunch bag, etc.. DC walks hunched over b/c the backpack is so heavy. If DC had to carry a textbook, too, I probably wouldn't be able to carry the backpack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad they don't have textbooks. My DC is in a gifted program, and DC's backback is already really heavy from the pile of papers they carry in their 1.5" binder, plus the reading book, lunch bag, etc.. DC walks hunched over b/c the backpack is so heavy. If DC had to carry a textbook, too, I probably wouldn't be able to carry the backpack.

The better privates solve this by having two textbooks. One for home and one for school. Actually the textbook could just be used at home since the teacher would probably spend a lot of time teaching from the smartboard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach middle school math. I hate the textbook. It's not well aligned with our curriculum, the explanations are convoluted, the problems jump from simplistic to challenging immediately, and the "real world" scenarios are stupid.

I post every. single. note. from class on blackboard, in powerpoint and pdf form for students or parents to download. Students have a binder of class notes they take back and forth with them. I will post links to youtube videos on blackboard for extra challenging topics.

Lack of a textbook gives teachers so much freedom to teach things in a way that is stronger, mathematically. I have a stack of textbooks in the back of my room that we only use on emergency sub days.

Which school district? Which textbook?

[Anonymous]

Textbooks often cost $40, $50, $60, $70 and even more.

They cost nowhere near that to manufacture. 90%+ of the cost is profiteering off of the content...

And the content is often not even all that good.

Baffles me why teachers don't get together to collect and curate open source content, they could collaboratively contribute toward open source textbook development via an online platform, and then either use the content online via tablets, or have bound books printed on demand via online services which charge a tiny fraction of what the textbook companies charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad they don't have textbooks. My DC is in a gifted program, and DC's backback is already really heavy from the pile of papers they carry in their 1.5" binder, plus the reading book, lunch bag, etc.. DC walks hunched over b/c the backpack is so heavy. If DC had to carry a textbook, too, I probably wouldn't be able to carry the backpack.

The better privates solve this by having two textbooks. One for home and one for school. Actually the textbook could just be used at home since the teacher would probably spend a lot of time teaching from the smartboard.

But my DC doesn't go to a private. And I doubt the public schools have the funds to have two textbooks for each kids.

[Anonymous]

Baffles me why teachers don't get together to collect and curate open source content, they could collaboratively contribute toward open source textbook development via an online platform, and then either use the content online via tablets, or have bound books printed on demand via online services which charge a tiny fraction of what the textbook companies charge.

This is how the government could be helping instead of pushing testing. This kind of central open source should be encouraged and organized by them. It would make materials available to all schools and students regardless of their economic situation. Education should be as free and open as possible.

[Anonymous]

But my DC doesn't go to a private. And I doubt the public schools have the funds to have two textbooks for each kids.

If you go on Amazon.com you can find many of the textbooks used for reasonable prices. I personally do not mind a used textbook and I always got a complete home set for my son every year for every class. It made life SO much easier.

[Anonymous]

^ And sometimes the school would tell us to keep the book at home as they would use other sources at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Baffles me why teachers don't get together to collect and curate open source content, they could collaboratively contribute toward open source textbook development via an online platform, and then either use the content online via tablets, or have bound books printed on demand via online services which charge a tiny fraction of what the textbook companies charge.

This is how the government could be helping instead of pushing testing. This kind of central open source should be encouraged and organized by them. It would make materials available to all schools and students regardless of their economic situation. Education should be as free and open as possible.

You do know the economic reason we have copyright, don't you? If all of the content is free and posted online, then that's it. No one will make new updated content, because they won't have the time to do that for free.

You can call the price of textbooks (paper and subscription online) profiteering, and say it's too high. But free is too low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks often cost $40, $50, $60, $70 and even more.

They cost nowhere near that to manufacture. 90%+ of the cost is profiteering off of the content...

And the content is often not even all that good.

Baffles me why teachers don't get together to collect and curate open source content, they could collaboratively contribute toward open source textbook development via an online platform, and then either use the content online via tablets, or have bound books printed on demand via online services which charge a tiny fraction of what the textbook companies charge.

You call it profiteering, I call it paying people for their work.