Anoka-Hennepin teachers write their own online textbook, save district $175,000

[Dopedangel]

This seems something like open source. But with knowledge instead of code.
And so it begins the disruption of the textbook industry.


http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...ine-Textbooks/

[SmokeAndMirrors]

...And right next door too. I knew there was a reason I put up with these blasted winters.

That's awesome. Glad to see this moving into the education world.

[wyndslash]

cheers it's also a good way for teachers to review and expand their own knowledge

[abookreader]

Wow. That is definitely not good news for the textbook publishers.

That is one of those things that really distinguishes a top grade teacher from the ones who are just marking time. I wonder what kind of review and approval process they've set up? The example given - Math classes - are pretty standard. Calculus isn't really open to teacher bias.

But .... history, literature, biology (the eternal evolution debate), government/sociology - those have some real minefields to tip toe through.

[jackeychen]

Thank you for share.

[mrscoach]

Many districts in Texas already use an online service called CSCOPE that is aligned with the state's essential knowledge and skills (what they are required to teach) and use fewer textbooks. The math classes do not use textbooks, but English classes use books with the stories the lessons are based on (copyright issues, and 'why pay for something that is readily available already in the schools?')

I'm not sure about history or other subjects. Neither of the two science teachers I work with use CSCOPE, but that might just be their choice, I know one hasn't taken the time to go through it. I think it is up to the school and maybe the department heads and individual teachers.

Definite trouble for textbook publishers in Texas with this direction opening up. Especially since the curriculum is updated at least once a year.

[MovieBird]

Originally Posted by abookreader

Wow. That is definitely not good news for the textbook publishers.

That is one of those things that really distinguishes a top grade teacher from the ones who are just marking time. I wonder what kind of review and approval process they've set up? The example given - Math classes - are pretty standard. Calculus isn't really open to teacher bias.

But .... history, literature, biology (the eternal evolution debate), government/sociology - those have some real minefields to tip toe through.

Screw the textbook publishers. I'm still pissed about averaging $600 every 12 weeks for my engineering books; especially when all the stuff in the first two years was math/physics that's been known for over a century.

As far as reviewing, isn't that the state's job? They ensure public schools are teaching the required courses in the required manner, covering the required nuggets of information to be certified.

No school is going to even come close to risking their accreditation, as it's too much of a selling point.

[howyoudoin]

Good on them. Textbooks are way overpriced.

[RainingLemur]

That's really cool. Good on them. I still can't believe just how expensive textbooks are.

[Andrew H.]

This is pretty cool. While it might be tricker to do for civics or history texts, it would be worth trying - maybe distribute separate chapter to interested teachers. (It's more complicated because high school history teachers aren't necessarily researchers, and there is always the danger of plagiarism).

[ebusinesstutor]

I think eventually more institutions will either write their own or move to Open Textbooks.

Here are some web sites that already offer free textbooks:

http://www.flatworldknowledge.com - free, open, editable textbooks

http://opencontent.org/ocwfinder/ - open courseware finder

http://bookboon.com/ - free textbooks, business books and travel guides

[covfam]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

Many districts in Texas already use an online service called CSCOPE that is aligned with the state's essential knowledge and skills (what they are required to teach) and use fewer textbooks. The math classes do not use textbooks, but English classes use books with the stories the lessons are based on (copyright issues, and 'why pay for something that is readily available already in the schools?')

I'm not sure about history or other subjects. Neither of the two science teachers I work with use CSCOPE, but that might just be their choice, I know one hasn't taken the time to go through it. I think it is up to the school and maybe the department heads and individual teachers.

Definite trouble for textbook publishers in Texas with this direction opening up. Especially since the curriculum is updated at least once a year.

yes they were doing that when i moved from san angelo up to wisconsin

[J. Strnad]

Good for them. I'm still pissed off over what my textbooks cost back in the 1970s!

In all fairness, dealing with textbooks is an enormously people-intensive endeavor for a publisher. But as with all publishing, new alternatives are emerging that are changing the business.

I'm concerned that decentralizing textbook content will result in a Balkanization of education, so that someone educated in California has a vastly different education than someone who goes to school in Texas. Vastly different, to the point of living in different realities.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

Good for them. I'm still pissed off over what my textbooks cost back in the 1970s!

In all fairness, dealing with textbooks is an enormously people-intensive endeavor for a publisher. But as with all publishing, new alternatives are emerging that are changing the business.

I'm concerned that decentralizing textbook content will result in a Balkanization of education, so that someone educated in California has a vastly different education than someone who goes to school in Texas. Vastly different, to the point of living in different realities.

The US had what you are calling "Balkanized Education" before. It caused us to become international leaders.

The old system of unpaid schoolboards detirmining curriculae produced exponentially better results than the current system of overpaid, centralized bureaucrats performing that function. Maybe that is because the local doctors, engineers, chemists, carpenters, mechanics, and business owners know more about what knowledge is needed to accomplish things than academics with Phds in education.

[DJHARKAVY]

Only problem with that is that the textbook exactly matches the teacher.

I think that the textbook should present the same material in a different form, so that students get a second point of view.

Otherwise, I applaud the project and hope to see much more of it.