[P1] iBook article in the NYT

[Dan Farley]

I agree that it's time for textbooks to go digital. I also agree - that in
comparison to my textbooks - there is a ton of pretty fluff in our kids
books. At the same time, as a teacher, knowing that I have to compete with
video games, the wizardry of Hollywood, music videos, and targeted
commercials - an attractive textbook is helpful. An example worth reviewing
is the new Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps curriculum (High
School JROTC). Texts are cheap phonebook quality that can be easily
replaced/updated with a Multimedia Teachers CDROM with interactive music,
video and powerpoint slides. Now if only they'd give me a computer and
projector powerful enough to use it! I guess I'll have to build my own this
summer.

To digress - I also think we shouldn't have computer/tech classes. The
skills needed to enhance subject matter learning should be taught in that
class. Spreadsheets in math, word processing, page layout, and multimedia in
language arts and graphics in art class.

All the above of course IMHO
Dan


 > You know, part of the problem with the heaviness of the books is that the
> publishers are sort of dumbing-down the content. They seem to feel that the
> students can't learn the material without a lot of colorful pictures,
> charts, and diagrams, thereby increasing the page count. I think there is a
> lot of padding in the books that doesn't need to be there. I was surprised
> at all the extra stuff in my 5th grader's books.
> My 2¢
> John