Is anyone else bothered that schools no longer use books?

[Anonymous]

My college age kids do not have text books. It is the one college expense that has come down since my day.

[Anonymous]

DS in private MS has history, Latin, and math textbooks/workbooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college age kids do not have text books. It is the one college expense that has come down since my day.

Mine does although he found a few pdfs online of a few of the books so he doesn't have to buy them.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher and it bothers me.

[Anonymous]

Fun fact that goes through my mind any time someone mentions textbooks: I grew up in a communist dictatorship. We had textbooks in every class! Actually really good ones in math. And guess what: parents had to buy them for their children. Poor children received free school copies.

Compare to post-communist fighting-for-social-justice America in 2023 where schools don't buy textbooks because they lack the money and asking parents to buy them is considered anti-equity or whatnot because the poor couldn't afford it (and no one would want to subsidize them.) My MS kid now is being read to from a book because the teacher doesn't have enough copies for every child to read themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a public ES and everything is online. I love when I tutor students from private schools though. They have actual books and workbooks. I'm tutoring a student now with a vocabulary workbook that is great. She doesn't need to go online and she isn't wasting time clicking around.

Whats the name of the workbook?

Dp, but this is the one our school uses. I’ve been impressed with it. https://www.sadlier.com/school/vocabulary/vocabulary-workshop-6-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun fact that goes through my mind any time someone mentions textbooks: I grew up in a communist dictatorship. We had textbooks in every class! Actually really good ones in math. And guess what: parents had to buy them for their children. Poor children received free school copies.

Compare to post-communist fighting-for-social-justice America in 2023 where schools don't buy textbooks because they lack the money and asking parents to buy them is considered anti-equity or whatnot because the poor couldn't afford it (and no one would want to subsidize them.) My MS kid now is being read to from a book because the teacher doesn't have enough copies for every child to read themselves.

Fwiw, the reason we're all complaining about this is because we had textbooks for all of our classes when we were young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college age kids do not have text books. It is the one college expense that has come down since my day.

Online 'books' cost just as much as text books and you can't resell them at the end of the semester

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun fact that goes through my mind any time someone mentions textbooks: I grew up in a communist dictatorship. We had textbooks in every class! Actually really good ones in math. And guess what: parents had to buy them for their children. Poor children received free school copies.

Compare to post-communist fighting-for-social-justice America in 2023 where schools don't buy textbooks because they lack the money and asking parents to buy them is considered anti-equity or whatnot because the poor couldn't afford it (and no one would want to subsidize them.) My MS kid now is being read to from a book because the teacher doesn't have enough copies for every child to read themselves.

Our FCPS MS gives out .pdfs for reading assignments. Most teacher also give out the title and ISBN of the textbook. Smart parents just buy them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college age kids do not have text books. It is the one college expense that has come down since my day.

Online 'books' cost just as much as text books and you can't resell them at the end of the semester

I don't know what they are using but I got 1 $36 charge for an on line thing and nothing else for my college senior this semester. Thats it.

[Anonymous]

buy old 80s textbooks online (the REAL Saxon Math books)
Make your own reading lists
work with your kids at home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in elementary, middle and high school and none of my kids seem to use books. Of course they read in English but that is it! My high school kid is taking world history with no book. My middle school kid has no algebra book. My elementary school kid has no science book.

Does this bother anyone else?

I hate that everything is online. I want to buy my high school kid a book he can flag and highlight.

No, it's like asking is anyone bothered that schools no longer use stone tablets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in elementary, middle and high school and none of my kids seem to use books. Of course they read in English but that is it! My high school kid is taking world history with no book. My middle school kid has no algebra book. My elementary school kid has no science book.

Does this bother anyone else?

I hate that everything is online. I want to buy my high school kid a book he can flag and highlight.

No, it's like asking is anyone bothered that schools no longer use stone tablets.

DP. I have been surprised that my DC's school uses individual whiteboards. So yes, "stone tablets" are still used but textbooks aren't.

[Anonymous]

Progressives: "Textbooks are so old fashioned - who cares?"

also progressives: "Why are students falling behind?!?!?"

[Anonymous]

Nope, not bothered. Books are costly, out of date, and stagnant. Online resources are dynamic and cost effective.